Mathieu Kassovitz

French Director and artist; 

Mathieu Kassovitz has expressed strong opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly regarding Gaza, reflecting his broader engagement with socio-political issues. In 2018, Kassovitz publicly criticized Israel’s actions during the Gaza border protests, specifically the violence against Palestinian demonstrators. In a Twitter exchange with Franco-Israeli lawyer Arno Klarsfeld, he stated, “aucune légitimité à ce massacre, aucune excuse pour le justifier. L’armée a tiré et tué des civils non armés qui se révoltent pour demander à être entendus. Enfants compris” (“no legitimacy to this massacre, no excuse to justify it. The army shot and killed unarmed civilians who were revolting to demand to be heard. Children included”). This was in response to the deadly clashes during the “March of Return” protests, where he condemned the killing of civilians by Israeli forces.

More recently, in May 2025, Kassovitz was among over 200 artists, including well-known figures like Viggo Mortensen and Cynthia Nixon, who signed an open letter published on the first day of the Cannes Film Festival. The letter denounced the “genocide” in Gaza, highlighting the killing of Palestinian freelance photojournalist Fatma Hassouna in an Israeli airstrike and criticizing the film industry’s silence on the issue. This action underscores his ongoing opposition to Israel’s military actions in Gaza and his solidarity with Palestinian victims.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mathkasso