You know who never, ever needs to publicly weigh in on the Middle East? Sylvester Stallone. Justin Bieber’s manager. And the guy who directed The Exorcist.
But hey, they won’t let that stop them: These are just three of the nearly 200 Hollywood heavyweights—including Seth Rogen, Bill Maher, Aaron Sorkin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sarah Silverman—who attached their names to an open letter condemning Hamas for threatening the “democratic values” of Israel. Because that ought to help.
The statement was crafted by Creative Community For Peace, an organization and shoddy website that represents “a cross section [sic] of the creative world” interested in preventing “cultural boycotts” of Israel. Though it laments the “devastating loss of life endured by Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza,” the blame for recent violence falls squarely on one side:
While we stand firm in our commitment to peace and justice, we must also stand firm against ideologies of hatred and genocide which are reflected in Hamas’ charter, Article 7 of which reads, “There is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!” The son of a Hamas founder has also commented about the true nature of Hamas.
Hamas cannot be allowed to rain rockets on Israeli cities, nor can it be allowed to hold its own people hostage. Hospitals are for healing, not for hiding weapons. Schools are for learning, not for launching missiles. Children are our hope, not our human shields.
Hardline neocons happily welcomed the support of “luminaries” they’d normally blast as liberal Jewish Illuminati, though much of Twitter was not so pleased.
.@Sethrogen Yeah like when Hollywood celebs like you put their support behind Israel’s slaughter of children in #Gaza pic.twitter.com/vhLNVke34y
— Suzanne Williams (@SueWinMA) August 24, 2014
Like downplaying the slaughter of +2,000 civilians trapped in Gaza, to whine about rockets on “Israel”, @SethRogen? https://t.co/G9XXsMgSUl
— muiz (@muiz) August 23, 2014
US #JewishVoice4War @SarahKSilverman @SethRogen Support #RightWing Israel #Gaza Violence https://t.co/EbGYbvSNzu #BDS pic.twitter.com/MLQabWO4hL
— #NoJusticeNoPeace (@PalsJustice) August 23, 2014
Israel destroys 13-storey building in Gaza air strike https://t.co/fb8QbkdkAv pic.twitter.com/oUtXawrrXZ
— joseph dana (@ibnezra) August 24, 2014
Seth Rogen & Arnold Schwarzenegger sign petition condemning Hamas rockets https://t.co/DaPyhbPr7w Nothing about Israel which killed 2100
— Ahdab Nasir (@AhdabNasir) August 23, 2014
“@Variety: Hollywood stars sign in support of Israel https://t.co/w9XHb2ZwMv pic.twitter.com/7PQeIIh2oa” I’m disappointed in you, Seth Rogen 👎
— Eman ☾إيمان ☪ (@TheEmanEffect) August 24, 2014
Morally corupt stand with Israel @TheSlyStallone @Sethrogen @Schwarzenegger while the WORLD STANDS with #Gaza pic.twitter.com/K0g0IEa5yf
— DrBarakat (@PsychBarakat) August 24, 2014
@SarahKSilverman You and Rogen are pro-Israel? Makes sense. Dead women and children are really a riot.
— Louis Proyect (@LouisProyect1) August 24, 2014
@SarahKSilverman you’re supporting Israel? https://t.co/3bivmYXQNk REALLY? expected better of you.
— MOLOCH THE LOVELESS (@MochineGun) August 23, 2014
Is Israel a greater threat to innocent Palestinians than Hamas is to innocent Israelis? Yes, 100 times. @SarahKSilverman @Schwarzenegger
— Christian Larson (@christlarson) August 23, 2014
All that remains of 44 homes in Zafer 4. pic.twitter.com/x31I33ntfP
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) August 24, 2014
.@OccPalGaza Pls also invite American @gloriahere who supports Israel & hates democracy @Schwarzenegger @justinbieber @driverminnie
— Linda (@SE25A) August 24, 2014
.@Schwarzenegger Signing Petition In Support of Israel. Truly Disappointing. I’ve Completely Changed My Mind About a Man I admired. #Gaza
— Lance Weisenburger (@LWeisenburger) August 23, 2014
Meanwhile, one or two producers have vowed to blacklist married actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem for signing a letter against “the genocide perpetrated by the Israeli occupation army.” Oh, and here’s Joan Rivers taking a typically nuanced position:
We’re so glad that celebrities could wade into this mess and explain it for us nobodies.
Photo by Gage Skidmore/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
