More international celebrities show solidarity with Palestine
Prominent figures face backlash and firings for pro-Palestinian statements
A group of world famous figures including artists signed on to powerful statements of solidarity with the people of Gaza, calling for a cease-fire.
In addition, as the conflict intensifies, a growing number of public figures find themselves involved in controversy, facing consequences for their expressions on the Israel-Hamas war. From renowned artists experiencing backlash and losing fan support to the tangible impact on their professional lives, the repercussions for those aligning with Palestinians’ cause are varied and significant.
Artists voice support for Gaza
A few days ago in Iran, the Tehran Peace Museum and the Iranian House of Artists, in a joint statement, condemned the Israeli regime for its brutal carnage of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and asked for an immediate cease-fire there.
Over 120 Iranian actors and war veterans are on the list of the statement addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, asking a measure to put an end to Israel’s ‘open oppression’ against 2.3 million people in the blockaded territory, IRNA reported.
“Dear Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations! We, Iranian actors, together with the veterans and chemically wounded survivors of the Iran-Iraq war, 1980-1988, by signing this sorrowful letter, ask you to do your utmost to stop the open oppression that is going on against the besieged women, children and civilians in Gaza,” the statement reads.
It adds, “Mr. Guterres, the position you hold, whether you like it or not, represents the historical conscience of today’s mankind, and your performance will be the proof for the judgment of generations to come.”
Renowned Iranian actors and directors including Davoud Mir-Baqeri, Majid Majidi, Leila Hatami, Kamal Tabrizi, Parviz Parastouei, along with the Iranian war veterans, are on the 126-person list.
Elsewhere, a group of over one hundred literary translators—including International Booker Prize winners Jennifer Croft, Daisy Rockwell, and Deborah Smith, as well as Susan Bernofsky and Antonia Lloyd-Jones—have signed on to a powerful statement of solidarity with the people of Gaza, calling for a cease-fire and identifying aspects of the special role translators play in moments of international conflict.
In addition, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (ICRC) and United Nations bodies such as the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the UK-based charity Oxfam called for the protection of civilians and pointed to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza amid the Israeli attacks on civilians.
Austrian writer and activist Wilhelm Langthaler, in an interview with Anadolu Agency, sharply criticized the government for its unconditional support for Israel and for turning a blind eye to the civilian deaths caused by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.
Musician and Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters shared a video on social media to call for a cease-fire, and his peer, British singer Yusuf Islam, addressed the “Great Palestine Meeting,” a pro-Palestine rally in Istanbul on Oct. 28, also to call for a cease-fire.
More than 2,000 artists demanded an “immediate cease-fire” and the opening of Gaza’s crossings to allow residents to leave the enclave amid Israeli strikes.
Artists for Palestine UK released a letter signed by more than 2,000 artists including famous novelists, singers, playwrights and filmmakers as well as famed actors and actresses such as Tilda Swinton, Charles Dance, Steve Coogan, Miriam Margolyes and Peter Mullan.
Plus, Oscar winning actress Cate Blanchett called for a cease-fire in the besieged Gaza Strip, Anadolu Agency reported.
“I am not Syrian. I am not Ukrainian. I’m not Yemeni. I’m not Afghani. I’m not from South Sudan. I’m not from Israel or Palestine. I’m not a politician. I’m not even a pundit. But I am a witness,” the goodwill ambassador for the UN refugee agency UNHCR said in an address to the European Parliament.
She deplored the human cost of war, violence and persecution across the globe, particularly in Israel and Gaza over the past few weeks.
Figures being under fire for solidarity with Palestine
David Velasco, the editor in chief of Artforum magazine, was reportedly fired after the magazine published an open letter in response to the war.
On October 19, the top art magazine posted a letter entitled: “An open letter from the art community to cultural organizations”. The letter, signed by thousands of artists and cultural workers including Nan Goldin (photographer), called for an immediate cease-fire, humanitarian aid into Gaza and broader Palestinian liberation.
“We support Palestinian liberation and call for an end to the killing and harming of all civilians, an immediate cease-fire, the passage of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the end of the complicity of our governing bodies in grave human rights violations and war crimes,” the letter read, in part.
A top executive at the talent agency Creative Arts Agency (CAA) has also faced backlash and is stepping back from leadership roles after reposting an Instagram story on Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
Maha Dakhil, a co-head of the motion picture department with CAA, has stepped down from the agency’s internal board and will be stepping back from her position at the agency, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The latest star facing cancelation calls is actress and activist Susan Sarandon, after the 77-year-old declared support for Palestinians on social media.
Taking to X—the social network formerly known as Twitter—on November 4, Sarandon reposted a photo of herself on stage at the #March4Palestine protest in Washington, D.C., according to Newsweek.
“You don’t have to be Palestinian to care about what’s happening in Gaza,” she wrote, alongside the snap with members of the Palestinian Feminist Collective. “I stand with Palestine. No one is free until everyone is free.”
This also isn’t the first time Sarandon has expressed support for Palestinians. In December 2021, the Oscar winner tweeted a graphic of South African anti-apartheid activist Desmond Tutu that read: “Israel will never get true security and safety through oppressing another people. A true peace can ultimately be built only on justice.”
Barcelona-based Palestinian producer Maher Daniel is one of them. Speaking to Resident Advisor, he said one of his Instagram stories condemning the Israeli occupation of Palestine triggered a spate of responses calling him a “terrorism supporter”. He said it’s unfair to call out Hamas “atrocities” but not those committed “daily” against Palestinians by “Zionist settlers”. The October 7 attacks, he added, were a direct response to human rights violations, land grabs, systemic violence, displacement and illegal settlements imposed on Palestinians, ra.co wrote.
In Germany, where the authorities have been cracking down on pro-Palestinian protests, artists like Nicolás Jaar have been de-platformed for their views. Others have felt compelled to cancel gigs because of the response from certain clubs or venues.