Anti-Israel celebs: Free speech for me, not for thee

Actors can’t stop reliving the Hollywood blacklist. So why won’t they speak out against the new, not-so-improved version?

Sen. Joe McCarthy’s Communist paranoia paralyzed Hollywood in the 1950s. The movement sent A-list talent scurrying for cover and made stars keep their far-left views quiet.

Align emailed press representatives for Ruffalo, Nixon, Dunne, Ahmed, Common, Youssef, and Philipps. What are their thoughts on the unofficial Hollywood blacklist targeting conservative artists?

No wonder the industry keeps revisiting the era with films like “The Front,” “Guilty by Suspicion,” “The Majestic,” “Good Night, and Good Luck,” and, most recently, 2015’s “Trumbo” starring Oscar nominee Bryan Cranston.

Now, a gaggle of stars are warning Hollywood not to repeat the era’s mistakes by punishing pro-Palestinian artists.

Mark Ruffalo, Cynthia Nixon, Griffin Dunne, Riz Ahmed, Common, Busy Philipps, and Ramy Youssef signed an open letter demanding stars be able to speak their minds without professional blowback.

The said letter called for a “permanent ceasefire” in Gaza along with the release of the remaining hostages taken by Hamas in the Oct. 7 massacre. The letter insisted Palestinian “hostages” also be released.

The missive featured another pointed demand:

“to condemn our industry’s McCarthyist repression of members who acknowledge Palestinian suffering; and to eliminate any doubt of our solidarity with workers, artists, and oppressed people worldwide.”

Actress Susan Sarandon, another name on the letter, has a personal stake in the subject. She lost her agent after her extreme anti-Israel views went public. She wasn’t alone. “Scream” star Melissa Barrera exited the horror franchise for similar reasons.

No matter where one stands on the Israeli-Palestinian debate, punishing artists for political viewpoints is anathema to the industry’s creative spirit and the First Amendment.

It’s why Align reached out to seven of the letter’s signees to ask their views on the other blacklist permeating Hollywood. It targets conservative artists like James Woods, Kevin Sorbo, Scott Baio, and more.

Woods and Sorbo have gone public with how their right-leaning views essentially ended their Hollywood careers. The Oscar-nominated Woods hasn’t had a sizable role since 2014’s “Jamesy Boy.” Sorbo mostly works via his Sorbo Studios shingle, creating small-budget titles like “Let There Be Light” and “Miracle in East Texas.”

Baio’s X profile refers to the actor as “happily retired,” but his support for Donald Trump in 2016 helped make that official.

The examples are endless. And while a tiny number of conservatives continue to act, including Jon Voight and Tim Allen, they are the exceptions that prove the rule.

The now-defunct Friends of Abe once allowed conservative artists to meet in secrecy, network, and commiserate about being forced to stay silent. Former members recall fear-filled exchanges, often from crew members recalling the blowback they faced for thinking the “wrong” way in Tinseltown.

The Hollywood Reporter recently suggested that liberal actress Cheryl Hines of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” fame might be “shunned” by the industry for supporting her husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The former presidential candidate recently endorsed Trump.

Surely, the pro-Palestinian actors are equally concerned about this troubling state of affairs.

Align emailed press representatives for Ruffalo, Nixon, Dunne, Ahmed, Common, Youssef, and Philipps. What are their thoughts on the unofficial Hollywood blacklist targeting conservative artists? Are they aware of the situation? Do they think it’s fair that right-leaning actors must hold their tongues lest they face professional blowback?

The outreach letter featured generous examples of the blacklist in question. No one responded to the query.

It’s not surprising. It’s an open secret the Hollywood press occasionally acknowledges but never questions. Last year, Emmy winner Alec Baldwin addressed the matter but dubbed it “unfortunate.”

Some blacklist sequels are more acceptable than others.