The Writers Guild of America West (WGA) has issued an apology to its members for not releasing a statement in response to the attack on Israel that occurred on October 7, causing more than 1,400 casualties. The guild had faced criticism for its silence on the issue.
In a statement addressed to its members, many of whom were angered by the guild’s silence, the WGA provided an explanation for its decision not to make a statement regarding the attack. The guild clarified that it typically takes stances on domestic matters related to social justice or freedom of speech but tends to avoid commenting on international tragedies.
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The guild’s statement read, “We did not, for example, make a comment after Russia invaded Ukraine, nor on terrorist attacks in Somalia, Pakistan, or elsewhere. It can be an imprecise science for a labor union to pick and choose where it weighs in on both domestic and world affairs.”
The leadership of WGA West acknowledged the pain caused by their decision and expressed their apologies, recognizing the limitations of their role as American labor leaders in addressing international conflicts.
The issue had stirred significant debate within the entertainment industry, with nearly 400 writers signing an open letter condemning the attacks and criticizing the guild for its silence. Another group of more than 300 creative guild members signed a separate letter, urging unions to resist pressure to comment, arguing that doing so might be interpreted as endorsing Israel’s response.
Variety reported that Wyatt Earp writer, Dan Gordon, went Fi-Core over the matter.
The WGA West’s apology comes as an attempt to address the concerns raised by its members and clarify its stance on such international matters.
Below is the full statement:
The Guild’s decision not to issue a statement on the events of October 7th has caused pain within our membership that we did not intend. We believe it is important to both explain our process and to attempt to rectify the situation, as well as to unequivocally state that antisemitism and Islamophobia have no place in this Guild.
In the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attacks, we did not issue a public statement, not because we were not horrified by the atrocities, but because it felt outside the purview of a U.S. labor union representing writers to comment on it. This was and is a difficult balance to strike. We have, as a Guild, made statements on other occasions, which could be characterized as beyond our scope and want to offer some transparency here about our thinking. Those instances fell mainly under the umbrella of defending social justice in the U.S. or freedom of expression, and where possible, were connected back to writers’ working lives. But the list of national and international tragedies we have not commented on is large. We did not, for example, make a comment after Russia invaded Ukraine, nor on terrorist attacks in Somalia, Pakistan or elsewhere. It can be an imprecise science for a labor union to pick and choose where it weighs in on both domestic and world affairs.
REELated:
Our board is diverse in its membership and points of view. The opinions from the board about whether to put out a statement did not fall along religious or sectarian lines and mirrored what we have seen play out in our membership as a whole and in the broader community. When we made the difficult choice not to make a statement, it was not because we are paralyzed by factionalism or masking hateful views. We are American labor leaders, aware of our limitations and humbled by the magnitude of this conflict. However, we understand this has caused tremendous pain and for that we are truly sorry.
All of us in Guild leadership are horrified by the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7th. The murder of so many innocent people in Israel is an abomination. We deeply mourn the deaths of innocent Palestinians ensnared in the violence in Gaza. We feel for all our members who have been affected, directly and indirectly. We hope that wisdom prevails in the region – and for the safety of all innocent people caught in the escalating violence.
As we move forward, we ask everyone to treat each other with respect and patience in this horrible time. What any of us write and say should not put writers in peril with each other. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to us.
None of this, of course, has any effect on the Israeli and Palestinian people. What they need from us is not an expression of our anger and distrust toward each other, but a shared commitment to peace and the value of every human life.
In solidarity,
Meredith Stiehm, President
Michele Mulroney, Vice President
Betsy Thomas, Secretary-Treasurer
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