5 Hollywood Artists Who Defend Palestine
Know Your Idol – The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has prompted many people, especially celebrities, to voice their support for the Palestinian population who have been greatly harmed by the war. Celebrity attention has also increased following the horror in Rafah where civilians were massacred in an air strike on May 26.
There are several Hollywood celebrities who have expressed support for Israel after the October 7 attack by Hamas or even remained silent on the conflict. According to L’Orient Today, Middle Eastern celebrities are quicker to express their support for the Palestinian people in Gaza because they have an understanding on this issue.
Several forms of support have so far been carried out by celebrities, such as posting posts highlighting the Gaza situation on social media and making donations through charities. So who are the Hollywood artists who defend the Palestinian population? The following are five Hollywood artists who defend Palestine, reported by various sources:
1. Emma Watson
Emma Watson via her Instagram account made a pro-Palestinian statement and this post went viral. According to the Hindustan Times, Watson’s post has led several prominent Israeli politicians to accuse him of antisemitism. Meanwhile, Emma Watson uploaded an infographic that stated, ‘Solidarity is a verb.”
2. Mark Ruffalo
The actor who plays the character Hulk in the Avengers film is also among a number of Hollywood artists who are active on social media to provide support for the Palestinian people. Even long before this war occurred, Mark Ruffalo had criticized Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s call in March 2023 for his statement regarding ‘eliminating Huwara,’ a Palestinian town in the northern part of the occupied West Bank. It didn’t take long for Mark Ruffalo to show his unwavering support to this day.
“It is time to sanction Netanyahu’s right-wing government and deny them visas because of their calls for genocide,” wrote Ruffalo via social media X. Mark Ruffalo has also shared articles and testimonies highlighting the suffering of children in the region.
3. John Cusack
John Cusack as a Hollywood actor, filmmaker and screenwriter has long been known as a pro-Palestinian person, especially since the 2014 conflict, Cusack has often participated in demonstrations supporting the people of Gaza. He has also shown his support through his social media X (formerly Twitter).
“I’ll tell you what I didn’t hear: I didn’t hear death for Israel, I didn’t hear death for Jews, I didn’t hear people celebrating the killing of Israeli civilians. What I still hear is – we need to liberate Palestine from brutal occupation – people worried about their loved ones in terrible areas, abandoned without food, water and electricity. The deep dismay of people who were told to leave and then bombed when they did,” wrote John Cusack on October 14 after a pro-Gaza march in Chicago.
4. Bella Hadid
Bella Hadid, who is an artist of Palestinian descent, has been the most vocal supporter of Palestine for several years and spoke out after the October 7 attacks when many other Hollywood stars were still speaking out on the issue. There have been many posts on social media related to Palestine and Gaza.
“My heart bleeds from the pain of the trauma I saw, as well as the hereditary trauma of my Palestinian blood. Seeing the aftermath of the airstrikes in Gaza, I mourn with all the mothers who lost their children and the children who cry alone, all the fathers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, friends who have passed away who will never be again walking on this earth,” wrote Bella Hadid, citing Metro.
5. Angelina Jolie
The last artist is Angelina Jolie who also helps refugees through the UN. Angelina Jolie, apart from repeatedly calling for an immediate ceasefire, also gave her response regarding Israel’s attacks on Palestinians in Gaza. Angelina Jolie’s actions unfortunately received a warning from her father, who is also an actor named Jon Voight. However, that didn’t stop Jolie from providing her support via social media.
“What happened in Israel was an act of terror. However, it cannot justify the loss of innocent lives due to the bombing of the civilian population in Gaza who have no place to shelter, no access to food or water, no possibility of evacuation, and no even basic human rights to cross border to seek protection,” wrote Angelina Jolie in a post on her Instagram account.
