Veteran Writers Guild of America West Member Renounces Membership over Union’s Silence on Israel Attack
LOS ANGELES – A long-time member of the Writers Guild of America West (WGA West) has decided to renounce his membership due to the union’s lack of an official statement on the recent terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel. Dan Gordon, a 56-year veteran of the guild and renowned writer of films like “Wyatt Earp” and “The Hurricane,” plans to declare his Financial Core (Fi-Core) status on Tuesday.
The attack on October 7th claimed the lives of 1,400 people, many of them civilians. Gordon expressed his disappointment in the WGA’s silence, particularly as a writer. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter (THR), he stated, “When you sit there and say there has not been an act of this magnitude, a tragedy of this magnitude befall Jewish people since Nazi Germany and you can’t find language to condemn it? And you’re writers? It’s staggering.”
Gordon, whose adopted sister narrowly escaped being massacred in a neighboring kibbutz during the attack, explained that he is resigning his membership not because he wishes to work on non-union projects, but because he no longer wants to be associated with those who remain silent in the face of evil.
The writer criticized the guild’s leadership for their failure to issue even a mild condemnation, calling it “appalling.” In a letter obtained by THR, Gordon expressed his frustration, stating, “The failure of the Guild’s leadership to issue even the mildest condemnation of the worst massacre of a religious minority in the Middle East since ISIS carried out similar atrocities against the Yezidis is appalling. It is corrosive to me as a writer and repugnant to every fiber of my being as a person of conscience.”
Going Fi-Core means that members are no longer bound by the union’s rules or strike rules, but they also lose the ability to vote, attend guild meetings, or participate in the Writers Guild of America Awards. The decision is permanent, with past writers who have gone Fi-Core including Sylvester Stallone, George Clooney, John Ridley, Robert Rodriguez, and Steven Soderbergh.
The WGA West has yet to issue an official statement regarding the conflict, while the WGA East has explained that recent restructuring has changed its practices on public statements. The Eastern branch stated that such statements hindered journalist members’ work and divided the union.
The move by Gordon has sparked controversy within the WGA, with 75 members holding a Zoom meeting expressing disappointment over the union’s failure to denounce the Hamas attack. The WGA board remains divided on a response, fearing backlash from activist members in taking a stance of support for Israel.
In an open letter, a group of writers called out the WGA for their silence on the Hamas attacks. The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a prominent international Jewish human rights organization, also supported the letter in their own statement.
The WGA West has yet to respond to requests for comment on Gordon’s decision.