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More than 150 Jewish actors, filmmakers and other artists signed an open letter<\/a> that was published on Friday in defense of remarks about Jewishness and the war in Gaza that the director Jonathan Glazer made in his Oscars acceptance speech for \u201cThe Zone of Interest,\u201d his film about the Holocaust.<\/p>\n Glazer\u2019s speech has become one of the most hotly debated in Oscars history, drawing an open letter of strong denunciation<\/a> from other Jewish film professionals last month and now one of support.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people,\u201d Glazer, who is Jewish, said at the Academy Awards on March 10<\/a>. \u201cWhether the victims of October the 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?\u201d<\/p>\n The new letter expresses support for Glazer. \u201cIn his speech, Glazer asked how we can resist the dehumanization that has led to mass atrocities throughout history,\u201d it says. \u201cFor such a statement to be taken as an affront only underscores its urgency.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Its signatories included the actors Joaquin Phoenix, Hari Nef and Debra Winger; the directors Joel Coen, Nicole Holofcener and Boots Riley; the playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard; and the artist Nan Goldin, according to Variety<\/a>, which reported the existence of the letter on Friday. Its signatories were confirmed by Sarah Sophie Flicker, an artist and cultural organizer who helped organize the letter.<\/p>\n \u201cWe stand with all those calling for a permanent cease-fire, including the safe return of all hostages and the immediate delivery of aid into Gaza, and an end to Israel\u2019s ongoing bombardment of and siege on Gaza,\u201d the letter says.<\/p>\n The art world has been deeply divided by the war in Gaza, including the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and the subsequent Israeli military response that has left more than 32,000 Palestinians dead.<\/p>\n Glazer made his remarks while receiving the Oscar for best international feature for \u201cThe Zone of Interest,\u201d a film that follows the Nazi official in charge of Auschwitz and his family as they go about their lives just outside the concentration and death camp.<\/p>\n \u201cAll our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present,\u201d Glazer said in his acceptance speech. \u201cNot to say, \u2018Look what they did then,\u2019 rather, \u2018Look what we do now.\u2019 Our film shows where dehumanization leads, at its worst.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n