Steven Spielberg is MIA in fight against the new antisemitism

Few artists have done more for the Jewish people than Steven Spielberg.

The Oscar winner directed 1993’s “Schindler’s List,” perhaps the definitive Holocaust film.

That is what makes his relative silence on the rise of antisemitism since Oct. 7, 2023, so shocking.

It’s emblematic of an industry with its head in the sand.

Few artists have done more for the Jewish people than Steven Spielberg. Getty Images for Universal Pictures

That is what makes his relative silence on the rise of antisemitism since Oct. 7, 2023, so shocking. Variety via Getty Images

Spielberg, whose new film “Disclosure Day” opens June 12, earned a best director Oscar for “Schindler’s List” — an overdue recognition, after years of iconic films. In the film, Liam Neeson starred as the businessman who used his clout to save more than a thousand Jews from certain death.

Spielberg leveraged the film’s success for real-world progress.

He established the USC Shoah Foundation the following year, a group that gathers Holocaust testimonies to battle antisemitism now and in the future.

The director’s contact with survivors visiting the film’s set inspired him to create the foundation, which eventually collected more than 56,000 eyewitness testimonies to the Third Reich’s monstrous actions.

Getty Images

The “Raiders of the Lost Ark” director donated his share of the Schindler’s List profits to create the Righteous Persons Foundation. The group deploys art and storytelling to, in the group’s words, “ensure that the moral lessons of the Holocaust are preserved for future generations.”

That wasn’t virtue signaling. It was using celebrity to change the world for the better.

It’s also why Spielberg’s silence following the catastrophic events of Oct. 7 mattered.

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More than 700 stars, including Chris Pine, Gal Gadot and Jerry Seinfeld, initially signed an open letter decrying the terror attacks days following the atrocities.

How could the director of “Schindler’s List” not be among them?

The director’s absence drew the attention of a Holocaust survivor who publicly begged him to speak out.

Getty Images for Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

David Schaecter, 94, penned an open letter on behalf of the remaining survivors hoping the director would lend his critical voice to the subject.

“Since October 7, 2023, you have not spoken out and publicly taken a stand against terrorism, against Hamas and the millions who celebrate the shedding of Jewish blood,” wrote Schaecter, head of the Holocaust Survivors’ Foundation USA (HSF). (Schaecter passed away last September.)

Spielberg finally spoke out in March 2024 during a ceremony at the University of Southern California to honor his Shoah Foundation work.

“And we see every day how the machinery of extremism is being used on college campuses, where now fully 50% of students say they have experienced some discrimination because they are Jewish,” Spielberg stated in the address. “This is also happening alongside anti-Muslim, Arab and Sikh discrimination.”

The latter comments suggest an attempt at a broader appeal, or a flat-out false equivalence.

Either way, Spielberg hasn’t said much in defense of Jews, much less Israel.

His silence reflected a broader shift in Hollywood. Awards shows avoided mentioning the spike in antisemitism, protesting the plight of Israeli hostages or standing up for artists canceled for having a pro-Israeli stance.

Spielberg’s name was conspicuously absent on a letter condemning a boycott effort against Israeli director Nadav Lapid.

Did Spielberg have anything to say on the matter? Getty Images

Many stars wore an “ICE out” or “Free Palestine” pin on various red carpets. Few said anything about the rising tide of Jew-hatred.

A-list stars like Javier Bardem, Joaquin Phoenix and Cate Blanchett have excoriated Israel while promoting the Palestinian cause.

Some, like Bardem, Mark Ruffalo and Emma Stone, went further. They signed a pledge to boycott Israel’s state-funded film industry.

Did Spielberg have anything to say on the matter?

We don’t know, but we do know he met with Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s stridently anti-Israel mayor.

Now, Spielberg’s is talking to the press about his newest film, an alien-themed movie that feels like a spiritual sequel to “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

Spielberg has weighed in on his view regarding real-life UFOs, but once again isn’t discussing antisemitism, even though warning signs are everywhere and keep getting worse.

Think Maine senatorial hopeful Graham Platner, who waited 18 years to cover up the Nazi tattoo inked on his chest. Or Rep. Thomas Massie, the rogue Republican who blamed his recent election loss on the Jewish lobby.

Any thoughts, Steven?

Spielberg’s Hollywood status is well earned. Few have the gravitas he brings to a discussion. Any discussion. Yet other artists have consistently spoken out about antisemitism’s ascent.

Think “Will & Grace” alum Debra Messing, actor/comedian Michael Rapaport, sitcom superstar Patricia Heaton and Five for Fighting’s John Ondrasik.

Odrasik, a Grammy nominee, recently performed his signature hit “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” with former Israeli hostage Alon Ohel.

Celebrities aren’t commanded to speak out on every hot-button issue. Many should do more homework before joining the hot-take fray.

But Spielberg’s disquieting silence, given his history of support for the Jewish people, feels unsettling and wrong.

Christian Toto is the founder of HollywoodInToto.com and host of The Hollywood in Toto Podcast.