Hollywood producer MRC became the rare entertainment company on Tuesday to unequivocally condemn “in the strongest possible terms” Saturday’s attacks on Israeli citizens from terrorist organization Hamas.
Signed by the independent TV and film studio’s CEO Scott Tenley and cofounders Asif Satchu and Modi Wiczyk, the internal memo, as received by TheWrap, said that while “we do not forget the millions of Palestinians who crave peace but are under Hamas rule” and “we stand with you too in the struggle,” there is “no moral equivalence for terrorism and there is no hedging on Hamas.”
The memo also nodded to the studios’ previous decision to produce — and then shelve — a documentary on rapper Kanye “Ye” West in 2022, who became notorious at the time for his continued antisemitic tirades.
“When we dealt with the Kanye documentary, we spoke about our desire for peace between Israel and Palestine. This is not about that,” the executives wrote.
“Hamas has no cause and no nation. It does not represent the Palestinian people any more than Isis represents Syrians or Taliban represents Afghans. They are not freedom fighters. They were not elected democratically and honestly,” the memo read. “Those groups only know barbarism, violence, and death. They are as destructive to the people they control as they are to their enemies.”
Read the memo in full below:
Dear Colleagues,
We write to you this morning as reports continue to flood in from Israel. 260 massacred teenagers at a music festival. 100 massacred farmers. Kidnapped grandparents, babies. Parents called by their children’s captors so they can hear them being raped and murdered. And new reports of dozens of decapitated infants and children.
When we dealt with the Kanye documentary, we spoke about our desire for peace between Israel and Palestine.
This is not about that. Hamas has no cause and no nation. It does not represent the Palestinian people any more than Isis represents Syrians or Taliban represents Afghans. They are not freedom fighters. They were not elected democratically and honestly. Those groups only know barbarism, violence, and death. They are as destructive to the people they control as they are to their enemies. These actions are always borne from hatred, but specifically now they are borne from a desperate desire to ruin the peace process that has gained momentum between Palestine, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the US.
If you are pro-peace, you are against Hamas. MRC condemns in the strongest possible terms the actions of Hamas and all terrorism. Like President Obama, President Biden, Representative Ritchie Torres, leaders of over 50 countries and the entire New York Times Editorial Board – many of whom have criticized Israel in the past – today we stand unequivocally with Israel.
And we do not forget the millions of Palestinians who crave peace but are under Hamas rule. We stand with you too in the struggle against Hamas.
There is no moral equivalence for terrorism and there is no hedging on Hamas. You are seeing pure evil play out.
We have resources for anyone that wants to send aid to all those affected in Gaza and in Israel.
Scott, Modi and Asif
