Fauda Co-Creator Slams Mark Ruffalo's Gaza War Claims

Avi Issacharoff, co-creator of the hit Israeli series "Fauda," has sharply criticized actor Mark Ruffalo's commentary on the Israel-Hamas war, particularly Ruffalo's repeated assertions of "genocide" in Gaza. Speaking at a panel in London, Issacharoff called Ruffalo a "rare combination of ignorant and stupid," questioning the actor's understanding of the term.

Issacharoff highlighted Israel's daily allowance of 600 aid trucks into Gaza, arguing this contradicts any intent to eliminate the Palestinian population. He also pointed out that more people have been born in Gaza during the war than have died, suggesting this undermines claims of genocide and attributing such attempts to Hamas itself. Issacharoff, a journalist and political commentator, created "Fauda" with Lior Raz, and its fourth season is set to premiere on Netflix next week.

Ruffalo's recent controversy stems from his opposition to a $111 billion deal involving Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. The actor expanded his criticism beyond business matters to include his views on Israel and the Gaza conflict. He accused a Jewish board member at Paramount of "celebrating" genocide, which Paramount rebuked, calling his language "antisemitic tropes in service of a business dispute" and a "line crossed."

Ruffalo defended his statements, calling the accusations "shocking and fundamentally dishonest" and asserting that criticizing Israeli government actions or military technology providers is not the same as criticizing Jewish people. In response to the escalating controversy, over 170 Jewish figures in the entertainment industry signed a letter supporting Ruffalo against what they termed a "smear campaign."