After social media users criticized the streaming behemoth for using Israeli actresses in the lead parts of its upcoming movie Mary, which retells the narrative of Mary, the mother of Jesus, Netflix is feeling the heat. Noa Cohen, an Israeli actress and yoga instructor, plays the title character of Mary in the movie, which has a December 6 debut date.
In addition to showing King Herod’s urgent attempts to find the baby Jesus because of concern that his power is in jeopardy, the film seems to center on Mary’s situation as an unmarried mother who faces social scorn.
A number of additional Israeli actors are included on the cast list, including Ido Tako as Joseph and Ori Pfeffer, Mili Avital, Keren Tzur, and Hilla Vidor in supporting parts, according to IMDb. Anthony Hopkins, a British actor best renowned for his Oscar-winning roles, will portray King Herod.
However, the movie has caused a lot of social media uproar since the trailer was released earlier this week, with many people advocating for a boycott of the site. Netflix has come under fire for allegedly utilizing Israeli actors to erase the Palestinian identities of these historical people.
One Twitter user didn’t hold back, writing, “Netflix thought it was a good idea to cast an Israeli to place Mother Mary like Israelis aren’t bombing the homeland of Jesus himself as well as all the churches.”
Another added, “Israel is currently bombing the very land Jesus was born in and yet Netflix thinks I’m gonna watch a movie about The Virgin Mary with Israeli leads.”
In light of the recent hostilities in Gaza, other people took an even more harsh stand, claiming that the casting choice was disrespectful. “There is something profoundly offensive about having an Israeli actor play Mary, the mother of Jesus, while Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, killing some of the oldest Christian communities in the world and erasing their heritage sites,” a person said.
In an attempt to explain the casting decisions, the film’s director, DJ Caruso, has described the movie as a “coming of age” tale about a “smart, strong-willed young woman facing monumental challenges.” Caruso said that it was crucial to use Israeli performers in order to guarantee “authenticity.”
But for many, that explanation falls flat. Given the violence and destruction in Gaza following the events of October 7, 2023, critics argue that casting Israeli actors in these roles shows a lack of sensitivity. As of now, Gaza has seen more women and children killed than in any other conflict in the past 20 years, with entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble. Schools, hospitals, and churches have been destroyed, with some buildings still standing as battered shells.
One user fired off a scathing tweet: “‘Israel’ has destroyed 3 churches in Gaza over the past year, and killed at least 3% of Gaza’s Christian population meanwhile the director of this film believed the main cast including the lead role of Mary should be ‘Israeli’ to ‘ensure authenticity’.”
This isn’t the first time Netflix has been accused of anti-Palestinian bias. Just last month, the platform came under fire for deleting an entire collection of Palestinian films. Netflix responded by saying that the titles were removed because their three-year licensing period had expired.
