Noted South Korean Film Directors Denounce Israeli 'Massacre' in Gaza

Two South Korean directors of recent hit films in the West have joined 100 of their countrymen in signing a petition calling on Israel "stop immediately" the "civilian massacre" in Gaza, which they characterized as a "war crime."

• Park Chan-wook's Bloody Thirst
• Spanish Stars Blast Israel on Gaza
• Jon Voight Slams Spanish Stars Over anti-Israel Letter

Park Chan-wook directed last year's psychological thriller "Stoker," starring Nicole Kidman, while Ryoo Seung-yong directed the 2013 spy thriller "The Berlin File."

The petition was delivered to the Israeli embassy in Seoul, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Italso called on South Korea, as well as the United States and European countries, to stop arms sales to Israel.

The film directors' protest follows that of Spanish film stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, who demanded that the EU condemn "the bombing by land, sea and air against the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip."

The statement brought on a backlash from supporters of Israel in Hollywood, notably actor Jon Voight, who accused Cruz and Bardem, who are married, of "incit[ing] anti-Semitism all over the world." This threw the couple on the defensive as they insisted they were not anti-Semites and were only trying to promote peace.