Hollywood stars stand up to support Israel
Stars began penning messages of support for Israel after Hamas militants launched a deadly attack on the country
Hollywood stars such as Gal Gadot, Jamie Lee Curtis and Natalie Portman are among the celebrities who have taken to social media to show their support for Israel, amid the brutal terrorist attack on the country by Hamas.
Israeli-born actor Gal Gadot, who served two mandatory years in the Israel Defence Forces, has been one of the most outspoken celebrities following the attack, which saw Hamas fire thousands of rockets from Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis.
On social media, Gadot, 38, wrote that the world must not sit on the fence over the war in Israel and Palestine, and urged her followers to donate funds for those affected by the attacks.
The Wonder Woman star has been posting daily about Israel since Hamas launched its attack.
“I stand with Israel you should too,” Gadot posted.
“The world cannot sit on the fence when these horrific acts of terror are happening!”
In an Instagram post on Sunday, of a screenshot of news story reporting that Israeli soldiers and civilians had been taken hostage by militants, Gadot wrote that “at least 250 Israeli have been murdered and dozens of women children and elders held as hostages in Gaza, by Palestinian military group Hamas.”
Natalie Portman, who is Jewish, wrote on Instagram: “My heart is shattered for the people of Israel. Children, women and the elderly have been murdered and abducted from their own homes. I am in horror at these barbaric acts and my heart is pounding with love and prayer for the families of all affected.”
Model Gigi Hadid, who is half-Palestinian, and has in the past been a longtime advocate for the Free Palestine movement alongside her sister, fellow model Bella Hadid, described the ongoing conflict in the region as an “unjustifiable tragedy.” “The terrorising of innocent people is not in alignment with & does not do any good for the ‘Free Palestine’ movement,” Hadid said in a lengthy post on her Instagram account on Tuesday. She added: “I also feel a responsibility to my Jewish friends to make it clear, as I have before: While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person.”
Madonna
Madonna shared a video on her Instagram account, depicting scenes of rockets and the bodies of the dead strewn across the streets of Israel. In the video’s caption, the 65-year-old pop star wrote: “My heart goes out to Israel. To families and homes that have been destroyed. To children who are lost. To innocent victims who have been killed. To all who are suffering or who will suffer from this conflict. Im praying for you. I am aware that this is the work of Hamas and there are many innocent people in Palestine who do not support this terrorist organization. This tragic attack will only cause more suffering for everyone.”
Her statement continued: “Watching all of these families and especially children being herded, assaulted and murdered in the streets is heartbreaking. Imagine if this was happening to you??”
Jamie Lee CurtisAmerican actor Jamie Lee Curtis ignited a debate when she inadvertently shared an image of distressed Palestinian children while expressing her solidarity with Israel amid the region‘s ongoing conflict. Alongside the picture, she captioned, “Terror from the skies,” accompanied by an Israeli flag emoji.
Kylie JennerOver the weekend, beauty mogul Kylie Jenner shared a photo from the pro-Israel account Stand With Us on her Instagram stories. The image displayed the text: “Now and always, we stand with the people of Israel!” Following a barrage of comments from pro-Palestine advocates on her Instagram, Jenner, who boasts nearly 400 million Instagram followers, promptly deleted the post. Jenner‘s repost was deleted “within an hour,” Page Six reports. Amy SchumerIn a post on Instagram, comedian Amy Schumer wrote that: “Jewish people are the only group not allowed to defend themselves. “This has nothing to do with the occupation. Hamas don’t want end to occupation. They want to eradicate Israel. They’re funded by Iran, who are trying to destroy the peace deal,” the 42-year-old star wrote.
U2
At a show during their Sphere residency in Las Vegas on Sunday night, Irish band U2 dedicated their song ‘Pride (In The Name of Love) to the hundreds of fans killed at a music festival in Israel, referring to them as “stars of David” in rewritten lyrics. The music festival was one of the first sites targeted by the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel. And perhaps the deadliest, with Israel’s search-and-rescue organisation confirming that at least 260 had been killed there.
“Sing for our brothers and sisters — who they themselves were singing at the Supernova Sukkot festival in Israel,” Bono said to the crowd. “We sing for those. Our people, our kind of people, music people. Playful, experimental people. Our kind of people. We sing for them.”
Bono continued, “In the light of what’s happened in Israel and Gaza, a song about non-violence seems somewhat ridiculous, even laughable, but our prayers have always been for peace and for non-violence … But our hearts and our anger, you know where that’s pointed. So sing with us … and those beautiful kids at that music festival.” Sarah SilvermanOn X (formerly Twitter), actor and comedian Sarah Silverman wrote “Israelis are Jews and Arabs and all colors.” The 52-year-old star added “There is so much complexity to this. But make NO MISTAKE Hamas is a terror organization who’s mission statement is kill all Jews. This fucking world breaks my heart.”
My sister and nieces and nephews are there. They’ve been protesting BIBI for months. Fight for a two state solution. Israelis are Jews and Arabs and all colors. There is so much complexity to this. But make NO MISTAKE Hamas is a terror organization who’s mission statement is kill… https://t.co/RzfeXk13Vr
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) October 7, 2023
Rose Byrne
Australian actor Rose Byrne shared a post from First Lady Jill Biden in solidarity with the Israeli people on her Instagram stories on Tuesday.
Yael GrobglasActor Yael Grobglas, who began her career in Israel before gaining global recognition on the U.S. show Jane the Virgin, expressed her support for Israel in an Instagram post shared on Saturday. “Israel is under a massive terrorist attack. Hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians have been murdered, many kidnapped, while others are held hostage,” she wrote. “My heart is with everyone back home. I stand with Israel,” added the 39-year-old actor.
Josh GadActor Josh Gad, best known for his role in The Book of Mormon wrote on Instagram “I have no words. I am praying for my many family members in Israel. What a cowardly act. What we are witnessing in real time right now is unprecedented since the Yom Kippur war.” The 42-year-old actor, whom is Jewish and comes from a family of Holocaust survivors added “My heart breaks for the families of those who have lost loved ones, and for the hostages who have been taken. What a horrific day.”