A host have Jewish American celebrities have faced backlash on social media in recent days after weighing in on the Israel-Hamas war.
The complexity of the enduring tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in the region, coupled with an ever-increasing number of zealous critics populating social media, has made speaking out on the matter a tough balancing act for those supporting either side.
To voice sympathy for the Palestinian lives lost has been reduced by detractors to supporting the actions of militant group Hamas. Conversely, a public statement mourning the Israelis killed or kidnapped has been dismissed as aligning with apartheid.
For celebrities, this has put them in something of a predicament. In a world where one's image is directly linked to their ability to work in a decidedly fickle industry, publicly expressing their convictions runs the risk of bringing about a dreaded cancellation.
The latest round of public statements have come after Hamas led the deadliest attack on Israel in history on October 7, killing more than 1,200 people, according to figures from the Israeli military as reported by the Associated Press. Hamas said the attack was retribution for worsening conditions for Palestinians under Israeli occupation.
Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza, following the launch of Operation Swords of Iron. Israel has been pummeling the sealed-off and densely populated Gaza Strip with airstrikes. Israel has also stopped entry of food, fuel and medicine into Gaza, worsening the humanitarian conditions in the tiny territory of 2.3 million people.
However, on October 16, Israel and the U.S. agreed to create a plan to allow Palestinian citizens to receive humanitarian aid, with President Joe Biden visiting the country on October 18.
On Tuesday night, there was an explosion at the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry, led by Hamas, said some 500 people—many of them displaced under an Israeli evacuation order—were killed in the explosion.
Palestinian militants and officials said the cause was an Israeli airstrike, while Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed an errant rocket fired from Gaza by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.
Before the hospital blast, at least 1,400 Israelis and at least 2,778 Palestinians had been killed, according to AP. Nearly 200 people were taken hostage in the October 7 attack.
In the days since the conflict, a number of celebrities of varying backgrounds have used their social media platforms to speak out on the matter. However, with an increasingly brightening light being shined on the plight of Palestinians, a number of Jewish celebrities have faced unrelenting backlash for expressing support for Israel.
Over the past few days, Sarah Silverman has been criticized on social media for her Instagram post about the conflict. In an Instagram Story post shared with her 2 million followers on October 18, the Jewish comedian reposted a statement by user @elianaeatz.
"Many are saying that it's inhumane that Israel is cutting off water/electricity to Gaza," the post read. "Israel made it pretty simple—'release the hostages and we will turn it back on.' Instead of pleading with Hamas to release civilian hostages which include babies and toddlers there are politicians (cough cough AOC [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]) calling Israel inhumane.
"If that isn't enough for you: Israel does not need to supply Gaza with these resources (which they do, for free). If Hamas didn't spend billions of dollars on terrorism they would be able to build the infrastructure to support themselves."
Trending Topics
The flood of criticism was instantaneous, with Silverman becoming a trending topic on X, formerly Twitter. One X user called Silverman a genocidal manic for "supporting starving Palestinian civilians by depriving them of water and electricity."
Amy Schumer was pilloried on the platform earlier in the week when she slammed news coverage of the Gaza hospital blast. In an Instagram Story post, she accused a number of media outlets in the West of blaming Israel for the hospital explosion without fact checking. She also called for editors at specified outlets to be fired.
She further accused the news outlets of putting out lies that stoke anti-Jewish hatred worldwide.
Following the blast, officials sought to refute claims that Israel was responsible. However, this was overlooked by Schumer's detractors, who took to X en masse to direct vitriolic criticism at the comedian. One X user said that "this is the first legitimate reason I've seen to completely hate Amy Schumer," while another deemed her canceled.
Barbra Streisand fared slightly better when, on October 15, she called for peace and a two-state solution.
"All people deserve to live in peace... to raise their children where a future is hopeful, in a country with stability and self-determination," she wrote on X. "Peace is dependent on a two-state solution that respects the human rights and the humanity of people in Israel and Palestine."
The result? Agreement from some and derision from many others—some of whom supported Israel. The consensus among a number of Streisand's critics was that her wealth negated her right to weigh in.
For Jeopardy! host Mayim Bialik, the backlash came when she took to social media to share the final messages of a victim of the Hamas attacks on Israeli settlements. In an emotional video, she read out "text messages sent from the last moments of people's lives in Israel."
While many supported her for speaking out, her decision to share only messages from a victim from Israel, and no Palestinians, sparked backlash.
'Passionate About Speaking Out'
The messaging, it seems, is clear: Jewish celebrities can't win. From coming out in full-throttle support of Israel to mourning the loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives, it appears as though they're in a damned-if-they-do position for speaking out at all. Boxing them into even more of a quandary, not speaking out is also cause for criticism.
Celebrity psychiatrist and author Dr. Carole Lieberman told Newsweek that some of the high-profile patients she sees have opted to remain silent for fear of causing offense.
"Most Jewish celebrities, especially those who are older than Gen Z [those born between 1997 and 2012], have an authentic love of Judaism and Israel in their hearts," Beverly Hills-based Lieberman said. "They are passionate about speaking out on behalf of Israel, though realize that they may be risking turning off some of their fans."
However, Lieberman added, "other Jewish celebrities are keeping themselves below the radar because they are not willing to offend anyone."
Evan Nierman, CEO of global PR firm Red Banyan, told Newsweek that celebrities like Schumer should be applauded, not attacked, for being willing to insist on sharing factual information.
"I think that this is a tricky situation, because on the one hand, people reflexively want to somehow strike a balance [when it comes to] the death of innocents on both sides, which makes sense," Nierman said. "However, there is a fundamental difference between that and targeting innocent civilians, for murder and mutilation.
"So I don't think playing the moral equivalency game goes very far when you're trying to compare a Western-style democracy that operates with integrity to a bloodthirsty terrorist organization.
"And I think that there are a lot of people who do not understand the dynamics at play. They have very little knowledge of the details of Hamas, their ideology, and yet they just want to have comments on what's going on."
Hitting Back at Detractors
Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp currently has the comments switched off on his newer Instagram posts. But while other celebrities have greeted their naysayers with silence, the actor recently came out swinging at his detractors.
"I just reposted a beautiful picture of a young innocent girl whose life was taken by Hamas at a music festival," Schnapp wrote in an October 11 Instagram post. "I was met with comments reading 'no one cares free Palestine' and 'She deserves that, and every Israeli terrorist deserves that – Free Palestine.' I am outraged by the justification and celebration of the death of a young girls life. Have people lost their minds??? STOP!"
"This is one example of many posts, rallies, and petitions being signed attempting to justify the brutality against these innocent Israeli people," he continued. "You don't have to be Jewish, you don't have to be Israeli, you just have to have empathy and common sense to know that THIS is wrong."
Nierman, author The Cancel Culture Curse, believes that heightened emotions around the conflict have made public figures feel compelled to share their opinions on the matter, even if those opinions are unpopular. This has seen several non-Jewish celebrities also condemned for their statements on the fighting.
"It's a scary scenario and a scary situation," Nierman said. "And there is so much misinformation, and there's so much hatred. And this has the potential to spiral well outside of the Middle East, and impact the lives of other people globally—especially within the Jewish community. I do think it takes a level of moral courage to weigh in on this topic, and by being willing to say things that will be unpopular with a certain set online."
Celebrity Worship
Of course, this doesn't mean that the words of celebrities are to be leaned on and revered as scared text. They are simply the words and opinions of people.
Nierman addressed this when discussing the perils of celebrity worship with Newsweek in April.
"There is a degree of responsibility that should come with possessing a massive following, but it is simply not the case," he said. "Political polarization and the encroachment of politics into every aspect of our lives is also creating an untenable circumstance where every public figure is expected to possess an opinion and share it freely with a public that hangs on their every word."
"Cancel culture is a pervasive threat since anyone can at any time be descended upon by an online mob for doing or saying the wrong thing or having the audacity to express an unpopular opinion," he added.
Looking at the situation today, Nierman said that Schumer "is not a Middle East scholar or expert. But the people attacking her certainly aren't, either. That's worth remembering here. And the same standard should apply. [Her critics] should focus on their world and their livelihood, their areas of knowledge."
However, there are also those who believe that celebrities should stay in their proverbial lanes when it comes to the conflict.
"Celebrities were invented to sell moisturizer and populate pointless TV [shows]," François Guesnet, a professor of modern Jewish history at University College London told Newsweek.
"Whether Jewish or not, they should not weigh in on an extremely volatile situation with potentially global ramifications, if only out of respect for the terrible human suffering in both Israel and in Gaza. Things are bad enough without incompetent statements."
Newsweek has reached out to representatives of Schumer, Bialik, Schnapp, Streisand, and Silverman via email for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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