David Corenswet has a cameo in upcoming film Supergirl. AFP
David Corenswet has a cameo in upcoming film Supergirl. AFP
David Corenswet has a cameo in upcoming film Supergirl. AFP
David Corenswet has a cameo in upcoming film Supergirl. AFP

Superman star David Corenswet removed from pledge to boycott Israeli film bodies ‘complicit in genocide'


William Mullally
  • English
  • Arabic

More than 5,000 actors, directors and producers have joined the pledge not to work with Israeli film institutions they say are “complicit in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people” since it launched in September.

Signatories have expanded from the original 1,200 signatories when it was first announced. Superman star David Corenswet’s name was added on Monday by Film Workers for Palestine before the advocacy group removed it on Tuesday.

The National has contacted Corenswet and the group for comment. An unconfirmed statement from the group released by the Instagram account Celebrities4Palestine said it had fallen victim to a “troll [who] went to great lengths to pretend to be David Corenswet in correspondence”.

The American actor, 32, who will also appear in 2026's Supergirl, is a rising star in Hollywood. Many interpreted the recent Superman film, which grossed more than $600 million at the global box office, to be critical of Israel.

Other confirmed signatories include Academy Award winners Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem, as well as actors Josh O’Connor, Ayo Edebiri, Riz Ahmed and Tilda Swinton. Acclaimed directors Ava DuVernay, Yorgos Lanthimos, Adam McKay and Joshua Oppenheimer are also among those supporting the pledge, published by advocacy group.

Arab film and television figures including actors Bassem Youssef, Dhafer L'Abidine, Dina Shihabi and Khalid Abdalla as well as directors Farah Nabulsi, Annemarie Jacir and Hany Abu-Assad have also added their names to the list.

“In this urgent moment of crisis, where many of our governments are enabling the carnage in Gaza, we must do everything we can to address complicity in that unrelenting horror,” the group said in a joint statement.

Call from Palestinian filmmakers

The signatories say they are responding to appeals from Palestinian filmmakers urging the global industry to “refuse silence, racism and dehumanisation” and to “do everything humanly possible” to end complicity in their oppression.

The pledge cites the International Court of Justice’s ruling that there is a “plausible risk of genocide in Gaza” and that Israel’s occupation and apartheid policies are unlawful. It defines complicity as including “whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them”.

Olivia Colman has signed the pledge that 'addresses complicity in that unrelenting horror'. EPA
Olivia Colman has signed the pledge that 'addresses complicity in that unrelenting horror'. EPA

Film Workers for Palestine said: “Despite operating in Israel’s system of apartheid, and therefore benefiting from it, the vast majority of Israeli film production and distribution companies, sales agents, cinemas and other film institutions have never endorsed the full, internationally recognised rights of the Palestinian people.”

Historic parallels

Organisers said the declaration takes inspiration from the 1987 campaign Filmmakers United Against Apartheid, founded by Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme and others to oppose US distribution of films in apartheid South Africa.

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mike Lerner described the new pledge as “an essential non-violent tool to undermine the deadly impunity that Israel and its allies currently enjoy”.

Wider industry response

The move comes amid a growing wave of protest in the entertainment industry. In recent months, members of the US actors’ union Sag-Aftra have published an open letter, while Equity UK passed a motion affirming performers’ rights to speak out. The Norwegian Actors Equity Association has also recommended members reject work with Israeli cultural institutions.

Dhafer L'Abidine, who has signed the pledge, on the red carpet for Palestine 36 at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday. AP
Dhafer L'Abidine, who has signed the pledge, on the red carpet for Palestine 36 at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday. AP

“Standing in solidarity with Palestinian filmmakers shouldn’t only be on us as individual artists,” said actor Amin El Gamal, chair of Sag-Aftra's National Mena Committee. “Our unions – which were built on solidarity – have an ethical and legal obligation to take meaningful action until Israel ends its genocide and apartheid.”

Screenwriter and director David Farr, the grandson of Holocaust survivors, said his decision to sign was shaped by personal history. “I am distressed and enraged by the actions of the Israeli state, which has for decades enforced an apartheid system on the Palestinian people … In this context I cannot support my work being published or performed in Israel,” he said.

Film Workers for Palestine's pledge

The full published pledge is as follows.

As filmmakers, actors, film industry workers and institutions, we recognise the power of cinema to shape perceptions. In this urgent moment of crisis, where many of our governments are enabling the carnage in Gaza, we must do everything we can to address complicity in that unrelenting horror.

The world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, has ruled that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza, and that Israel’s occupation and apartheid against Palestinians are unlawful. Standing for equality, justice and freedom for all people is a profound moral duty that none of us can ignore. So too, we must speak out now against the harm done to the Palestinian people.

We answer the call of Palestinian filmmakers, who have urged the international film industry to refuse silence, racism and dehumanisation, as well as to 'do everything humanly possible' to end complicity in their oppression.

Inspired by Filmmakers United Against Apartheid who refused to screen their films in apartheid South Africa, we pledge not to screen films, appear at or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions – including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies – that are implicated* in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.

*Examples of complicity include whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them.

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Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

Why your domicile status is important

Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.

Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born. 

UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.

A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Key findings
  • Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
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How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
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What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Rating: 2/5
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

Director: Scott Cooper

Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong

Rating: 4/5

Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi

Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe

For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.

Golden Dallah

For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.

Al Mrzab Restaurant

For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.

Al Derwaza

For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup. 

SPEC SHEET

Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD  dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz

Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core

Memory: 8/12GB RAM

Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB

Platform: Android 12

Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW

Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps

Front camera: 40MP f/2.2

Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare

Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC

I/O: USB-C

SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano

Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red

Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE

The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

Price, base: Dh1,731,672

Engine: 6.5-litre V12

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm

Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm

Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AndhaDhun

Director: Sriram Raghavan

Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan

Rating: 3.5/5

Results

1. Mathieu van der Poel (NED) Alpecin-Fenix - 3:45:47

2. David Dekker (NED) Jumbo-Visma - same time

3. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep   

4. Emils Liepins (LAT) Trek-Segafredo

5. Elia Viviani (ITA) Cofidis

6. Tadej Pogacar (SLO UAE Team Emirates

7. Anthony Roux (FRA) Groupama-FDJ

8. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:00:03

9. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep         

10. Fausto Masnada (ITA) Deceuninck-QuickStep

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
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Temple numbers

Expected completion: 2022

Height: 24 meters

Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people

Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people

First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time

First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres  

Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres

Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Kamindu Mendis bio

Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis

Born: September 30, 1998

Age: 20 years and 26 days

Nationality: Sri Lankan

Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team

Batting style: Left-hander

Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)

Sheer grandeur

The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.

A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.

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THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)

Power: 141bhp 

Torque: 250Nm 

Price: Dh64,500

On sale: Now

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Updated: November 04, 2025, 2:23 PM