Screenwriter Dan Gordon (The Hurricane, Wyatt Earp) has resigned from the Writers Guild of America (WGA), citing the organization’s delayed response to the horrific terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas weeks ago.
In a letter to the WGA on Tuesday, Gordon, who counts himself as a veteran of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said that he could not understand why the WGA could take stances on issues like Black Lives Matter and #MeToo but not on Israel suffering a horrible attack, which killed over 1,200 people.
“We had no trouble, as we should not have had, weighing in after George Floyd was killed. We had no problem, as we should not have had, weighing in on the #MeToo movement. No one said at the time, ‘I don’t want to offend Bill Cosby,’” he said. “And yet you’re witness to nothing less than the worst slaughter of Jews since Nazi Germany and you can’t find a word to say to condemn it.”
Gordon has opted for “financial core” status, which means he cannot participate in the WGA elections, awards, or other membership benefits. According to Variety, such writers still have to pay a “reduced dues rate and work under the same economic terms as apply to guild members. The guild does not allow members to rejoin after they elect ‘fi-core’ status.”
The WGA apologized to members in a lengthy letter on Tuesday, saying that it often does not comment on world affairs.
“We did not, for example, make a comment after Russia invaded Ukraine, nor on terrorist attacks in Somalia, Pakistan or elsewhere,” the guild said. “It can be an imprecise science for a labor union to pick and choose where it weighs in on both domestic and world affairs.”
“We are American labor leaders, aware of our limitations and humbled by the magnitude of this conflict,” the guild added. “However, we understand this has caused tremendous pain and for that we are truly sorry.”
Later in the day, WGA West finally issued a statement condemning the Hamas massacre by name. Breitbart’s David Ng wrote:
“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,” WGA West leadership said, later adding they “are truly sorry” for the “tremendous pain” they caused.
WGA leaders said they “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.”
However, WGA East has not yet followed suit.
Gordon said the WGA missed its opportunity to speak out and mischaracterized its union.
“We’re not the union of pipefitters. We’re not the plumbers union,” he said. “We’re the Writers Guild. We stood up to McCarthyism. We stood up to fascism. It’s part of our job to bear witness.”
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect a revised number on the death toll from the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel. The Israeli government estimate of 1,400 was revised to around 1,200, according to Reuters.
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.
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