The accusation that I am antisemitic is appalling and fundamentally dishonest. Criticizing the actions of the Israeli prime minister, a military technology contract, or the executives who supply it is not the same as criticizing Jewish people. This critical and necessary dialogue is then dishonestly framed as being anti-Israel. To be clear, my views come from my own political convictions and should never be interpreted as hostility toward Jewish people, for whom I have deep love and respect.  Everything I know about acting, activism, and humanism has been profoundly shaped by the Jewish friends, colleagues, and loved ones who have been integral and family throughout every point of my life. This merger has real consequences for real people, and for the entire country. Scrutinizing the Ellisons, including Oracle’s business built on data, surveillance technology and government contracts, and the serious threat to editorial freedom and the loss of a livelihood for thousands of families, is fair and necessary. The $111 billion deal would hand one family control over CNN, HBO and Warner Bros., backed in part by foreign money whose influence on editorial decisions has never been fully explained to the public.  Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for serious national security review, and regulators still haven’t given the public a real answer. Until they do, the merger shouldn’t move forward. Now is the time to dive boldly into all these issues, not step back or concede.

“Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote in a social media post on Tuesday, “The Paramount–WBD merger isn’t about creating better entertainment. It’s about cutting costs & squeezing workers. Writers, actors, and crew will have fewer employers to work for, which means less bargaining power & lower wages. State AGs are stepping in to fight back.””

Here’s the problem. When you put another country above the USA, when you are in the US government, no matter what you say, you aren’t working for the American people. Go be a lobbyist. Register as a lobbyist for a foreign government and make your living that way, but don’t take a paycheck from the US taxpayer. Get out of representing the people of the USA.