Lebanese Campaign Calls to Boycott Spider-Man Film Over Israeli Producer

The new Spider-Man movie, "Spider-Man: A New Day," has become the target of a boycott campaign in Lebanon due to the involvement of Israeli-born Hollywood producer Avi Arad. The campaign urges Lebanese audiences to avoid cinemas screening the film, citing Arad's support for Israel as the reason.

Avi Arad, originally from Ramat Gan, Israel, later moved to the United States and became a prominent figure in the superhero film industry, notably leading Marvel Comics to major Hollywood success with franchises like X-Men and Spider-Man. Despite his Hollywood career, it is his political stance supporting Israel that has drawn ire in Lebanon. In 2024, Arad publicly criticized U.S. Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer for comments about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The boycott campaign, known as "The Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel in Lebanon," opposes any normalization with Israel and has previously targeted other productions, such as the 2017 ban on "Wonder Woman" starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot. Earlier this month, the campaign also succeeded in pressuring Lebanese authorities to cancel the participation of Israeli doctor Sharona Russ at a conference in Lebanon.

The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, affiliated with Hezbollah, headlined the boycott call as "Zionist Spider-Man," emphasizing that even entertainment products are considered part of the struggle against Israel. The campaign's slogan, "Boycott is a stance and your stance makes the difference," reflects its goal to prevent the film from reaching Lebanese audiences solely due to the involvement of an Israeli producer.

Summary: A Lebanese boycott campaign targets the new Spider-Man film because of Israeli producer Avi Arad's involvement and political support for Israel, urging audiences to avoid the movie in Lebanon.