The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced early Wednesday that 529 new members are joining its ranks, but none come from Israel’s active film industry. The omission stands out because in previous years Israeli filmmakers were regularly included, and the academy’s 2020 membership expansion opened the door to more international invitees.
Among the new members are several Israeli-born figures, but they are based in Hollywood and are not tied to Israel’s local industry. Those include composers Oren Yaakobi and Chaim Mazar. By contrast, the Israeli-born filmmakers selected from the region identify as Palestinians, including director Samah Zoabi and cinematographer Ihaab Assal, along with Ramallah-based veteran Rashid Masharawi, documentary filmmaker Amber Fares and composer Suad Bushnaq.
Zoabi, from Iksal in the Galilee, lives, works and teaches film in New York and is known in Israel for "Man Without a Cellphone" and "Tel Aviv on Fire." Assal, from Nazareth, worked on "Late Marriage" and "Jellyfish," and shot films with Hany Abu-Assad and Elia Suleiman. Masharawi recently founded Gaza’s film school and will join the academy’s directors branch, while Fares, a Canadian-Palestinian filmmaker, is entering the documentary branch after her film about Israeli comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi drew attention last year.
Yaakobi, who grew up in Hod HaSharon and moved to Los Angeles nearly 20 years ago, has worked on Hollywood soundtracks, especially horror titles, and on the animated hit "KPop Demon Hunters." Mazar has long composed for horror and action films, including "Scary Movie" and "The Desperate Hour." Bushnaq, who is Canadian-Palestinian, joins the music branch. The academy also invited pro-Israel talent agent Victoria Cook and other Jewish and Zionist industry figures, plus actress Julia Garner, whose mother is Israeli-born Tammi Gingold.
The lack of any Israel-based invitees is especially notable after several years of regular Israeli representation, including 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and the broad 2020 round. This year’s list also includes major international stars such as Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Josh O’Connor, John Bernthal, Josh Gad, Stephen Fry, Skeet Ulrich, Tig Notaro, David Dastmalchian, Teyana Taylor, Jenny Slate, Bill Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Mathieu Amalric, the Safdie brothers and Zack Cregger.
