Some 700 Hollywood entertainment professionals have signed an open letter expressing unconditional backing for Israel’s war against terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, actor and film producer Michael Douglas, and actress Gal Gadot are just a few of those behind the missive, posted by the Creative Community for Peace, a California-based organization founded in 2011 that works to counter antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment in the entertainment industry.
“This is terrorism. This is evil. There is no justification or rationalization for Hamas’s actions. These are barbaric acts of terrorism that must be called out by everyone. They are a terrorist organization whose leaders call for the murder of Jews everywhere,” said the letter of Hamas.
“CCFP calls on our friends and colleagues in the entertainment industry to speak out forcefully against Hamas and do whatever is in their power to urge the terrorist organization to return the innocent hostages to their families,” it added.
Disney donated $2 million to organizations providing relief in the region, including Magen David Adom, the Israeli affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Natalie Portman and Madonna were among the first celebrities to address the Hamas massacre on social media. On Oct. 8, Portman wrote on Instagram: “I am in horror of these barbaric acts and my heart is pounding with love and prayer for the families of all affected.”
Madonna beseeched her X followers to “Pray for Israel. For Peace.”
Former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger re-shared on Oct. 12 a video he recorded on March 3 tackling the rise of antisemitism in which he addressed “anyone who chose the path of hate” and recounted his visit to Auschwitz.
Actors Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds announced they had donated $1 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Oct. 13 “to help children in Israel and Gaza.”
A close friend of the couple, singer Taylor Swift, has not yet commented on the issue. She has, however, confirmed that one of her security guards, who asked to remain anonymous, left her Eras Tour to serve Israel in the war against Hamas.
On Oct. 8, U2 lead singer Bono, during a concert in Las Vegas, paid tribute to the more than 260 persons murdered at the Supernova Sukkot Gathering music festival the previous day.
He retweeted a video of his remarks using the official band X account. Bono turned the first verse of U2’s hit song “Pride (In the Name of Love)” into “Early morning, October 7, the sun is rising in the desert sky/ Stars of David, they took your life but they could not take your pride.”
Oscar-winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who moved to Tel Aviv two years ago with his Israeli musician wife, Daniella Pick, and their two children, visited IDF troops in southern Israel.
Reality TV billionaire and longtime supporter of Israel Kim Kardashian released a statement on Instagram on Oct. 12, for which she deactivated the comment section.
Her post read: “A message to my Jewish friends and family. I love you. I support you. I have heard about how scared you feel during this time, I want you to know that you are not alone in this.”
Other members of the Kardashian family also expressed solidarity for the victims of Hamas’s barbaric terror acts, including Kris and Kylie Jenner. The latter withdrew her statement after she encountered backlash.
Comedian and actress Amy Schumer shared her thoughts on the Israel-Hamas war in an emotional statement.
“As a child I grew up with uncle Alex, numbers from Auschwitz burned into his forearm. Attending Hebrew school reading endless books about the Holocaust like all Jewish children do. Learning of the world’s confusing hatred for us,” she said.
But many American cinema superstars, including actress, filmmaker and humanitarian activist Angelina Jolie, who for years has been actively advocating against rape as a weapon of war, have yet to condemn Hamas’s inhumane treatment of Israeli civilians.