WATCH: 'Ran by Zionists': Palestinian screenwriter complains about entertainment industry

Maya Abdallah, a Palestinian screenwriter from the United States, filmed herself complaining about her struggles to find work, in a TikTok video on October 19.

In the video. Abdallah claimed that her submissions were not being accepted “because the entertainment industry is ran by Zionists.”

Abdallah explained that she had submitted “countless pieces about what it is like being Palestinian, the Palestinian experience, the trauma of being Palestinian.” One of these pieces, a story about a restaurant being shut down by the IDF, had allegedly brought tears to her manager’s eyes, Abdallah claimed.

Palestinian screenwriter Maya Abdallah complains she can’t get work in Hollywood because the industry is run by “Zionists”, complains her manager & management company supports Israel, and finishes up by proclaiming she’ll never work with a “Zionist”. pic.twitter.com/PgtrfwRsXR

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) October 21, 2023

Abdallah said that she was shocked to find that her management and manager had posted that they “passionately support Israel, the Jewish community, and mourn the victims of these horrifying acts by Hamas. To those impacted by the recent events, our hearts are with you. May peace prevail for all.”

Abdallah did not, at the time, specify which part of her management’s statement shocked her. 

The writer added that she was feeling betrayed “while my people are being genocided in Gaza…and while I am in Palestine.” She claimed that neither her manager nor her company had checked on her, but stated that she was okay.

The video ended with Abdallah explaining that she has ended her contract with the management company because she “will not stand or work for a Zionist. I don’t care if it tears my career down. I don’t care if I never work again. I will never work for a Zionist.”

Abdallah addresses the backlash

Three days after the video, Abdallah posted a follow-up. In the new video, the writer began by sharing a screenshot of Stop Antisemitism’s X post on her video.

@mayuhnaise

Palestinians will no longer stay silent on the manipulation and weaponization from zionists. Speaking out against our opressor is not and will never be antisemetic.

♬ original sound - maya

Abdallah said she wanted “to unpack all of the lies told by Zionists to paint any Palestinian standing against their oppressor as racist.”

She claimed that she had received thousands of messages following the post on X, many of whom allegedly told her she would never work again. 

“I realized this is a great, great, great example,” Abdallah continued, “about how Zionists use manipulation and propaganda and put words into Palestinians' mouths to disprove their point.”

“So let’s start unpacking,” Abdallah said before reading out the X post. “Never once did I say in that video did I say that I can’t find work in Hollywood. I never said that once. This was made up by this Twitter [X] account. I work full time and I make good money. I have been working in this industry for like 6 years doing social media. So nowhere did I ever say that ‘I am not getting work because of Zionists’…Don’t sit there and try to act like I am broke.”

Abdallah then said that she left her management because they supported Israel, not because they condemned Hamas. 

Abdallah also said that when she said that “Zionists” run the Hollywood industry, she did not mean Jews. She explained that her manager was a Catholic and a number of people that she works with are Christian. 

“Israel does not represent all Jewish people,” Abdallah explained. “There are thousands of Jews that are not Zionists and by grouping them altogether- that in itself is antisemitic." 

“This has nothing to do with Jewish people. Honestly, it is a slap in the face that every time we call out Zionism for what it is, people call us antisemitic.”

“I find it very ironic that they call us hateful and say that we don’t even notice our own bigotry when you guys are not condemning what Israel is doing to thousands and thousands of Palestinians.”

“Zionists weaponize the word ‘antisemitic’ to make it seem like everybody who speaks out about the war crimes, the history of genocide done by the Israeli government- they are hit with this claim that we are racist, we are antisemitic, we hate Jewish people. That is not the case.”