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Gal Gadot, Madonna, Dwayne Johnson, Justin Bieber: Celebrities come out to support Israel amid ongoing conflict

Oct 13, 2023 08:09 PM IST

Several celebrities are using social media to show support for Israel and denounce Hamas’ attack on Israeli civilians which left at least 1,000 people dead.

From Gal Gadot, Sonam Kapoor, Gigi Hadid to Dwayne Johnson, celebrities are taking to social media to show their support for Israel amid the country’s declared war against Hamas following the attack by the Palestinian militants last weekend. The celebrities are using their platforms to show support for Israel and denounce Hamas’ attack on Israeli civilians which left at least 1,000 people dead.

Israeli-born Gal Gadot has been one of the most vocal celebrities to speak out about the ongoing conflict
Israeli-born Gal Gadot has been one of the most vocal celebrities to speak out about the ongoing conflict

Gigi Hadid

Supermodel Gigi Hadid has spoken out about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, describing it as an “unjustifiable tragedy”. She has thrown her support behind Palestine’s struggle while also condemning the violence that has arisen as a result of the attacks. The 28-year-old, who is a person of Palestinian origin herself, wrote on Instagram, “I have deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation; it’s a responsibility I hold daily. 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,” she wrote on Instagram.

Dwayne Johnson

Actor Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, posted a long note, wherein he ‘condemned and denounced terrorism’. He wrote, “I’m heartbroken, angry, and sickened by the brutal murders and kidnapping of Jewish people through the horrific acts of the Hamas terrorist group. The growing loss of innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives is heart wrenching as this war escalates to immense proportions. I don’t pretend to know everything about the complex conflict in the Middle East. It commands deep understanding, context, and nuance – what I do know is hateful acts of terrorism like these are never justified. I condemn and denounce terrorism, and in this devastating moment, my heart goes out to all the innocent victims and families grieving for their lost loved ones. I pray for compassion and resolve. I pray for all innocent lives.”

Gal Gadot

Israeli-born Gal Gadot has been one of the most vocal celebrities to speak out about the ongoing conflict. The Wonder Woman star, who served two mandatory years in the Israel Defense Forces, took to Instagram to raise her voice, writing, “I stand with Israel, you should too. The world cannot sit on the fence when these horrific acts of terror are happening!” She also published several Instagram Stories about the war.

Madonna

Singer Madonna has called the events in Israel “devastating”. “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?? It’s Unfathomable,” she wrote on Instagram. She also shared that violence cannot solve conflicts and that we “live in a world ravaged by hate”, and went on to express that Hamas is responsible for the attack and there are “many innocent people in Palestine” who do not support the terrorist organisation.

U2

U2 frontman Bono honoured the memory of all the Israelis who were killed by Hamas during a concert in Las Vegas. The singer told the crowd, “In the light of what’s happened in Israel and Gaza, a song about nonviolence seems somewhat ridiculous, even laughable. But our prayers have always been for peace and for non-violence”. He continued, “But our hearts and our anger, you know where that’s pointed. So sing with us… and those beautiful kids at that music festival”. The band then started performing their 1984 hit, Pride (In the Name of Love), but Bono replaced the first few lyrics by singing, “Early morning, Oct. 7, the sun is rising in the desert sky. Stars of David, they took your life but they could not take your pride”.

Natalie Portman

Actor Natalie Portman has confessed that her heart is “shattered” for the people of Israel. “Children, women and the elderly have been murdered and abducted from their own homes,” the Black Swan actor, who was born in Israel, wrote in a statement on Instagram. She added, “I am in horror at these barbaric acts and my heart is pounding with love and prayer for the families of all affected”.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express support for Israel in the wake of Hamas’ brutal attacks on the country. He wrote, “I stand with my Israeli friends in the face of these unprovoked, barbaric terrorist attacks. My heart breaks when I turn on the news and see this pain and suffering”.

Justin Bieber

The Canadian singer also took to his Instagram stories to talk about the ongoing conflict. He wrote, “Truly hurting for both my Israeli and Palestinian friends. I’m pretty sure we all instinctively know evil when we see it. To villainise all Palestinians or all Israeli people to me seems wrong. I’m not interested in choosing sides, but I am interested in standing with the families, who have been brutally taken from us”.

Josh Gad

Actor Josh Gad, who comes from a family of Holocaust survivors, posted on social media, sharing, “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. 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.”

Florence Pugh

Actor Florence Pugh has expressed her dedication to Israel by sharing supportive messages on her Instagram. She re-posted a viral infographic via her Instagram Story that stated, “It is absolutely reasonable and logical to be opposed to the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians while simultaneously calling for the protection of Jews in Israel and around the world”.

Liev Schreiber

In his Instagram stories, the Ray Donovan star, 56, shared a post from the organisation StandWithUs, dedicated to opposing anti-semitism, which included an image of the Israeli flag and read, “Now and always, we stand with the people of Israel!” Below the post, he wrote, “We stand with the people of Israel and the IDF in their fight against Hamas and other terrorist groups. We hope this war ends as soon as possible, for the sake of peace”.

Sonam Kapoor

Actor Sonam Kapoor has reacted to the conflict between Hamas and Israel, and has shared Gigi Hadid’s post about the same. Sonam condemned the violence, and said that it leads to nothing. In another story, Sonam shared her view, and wrote that violence cannot be the solution to anything. She then added Mahatma Gandhi’s quote on non-violence being a weapon of the strong. “Violence and death doesn’t lead to anything . It just destroys any humanity that exists in us. Mahatma Gandhi Non-violence is a weapon of the strong. Non-violence and truth are inseparable and presuppose one another. We may never be strong enough to be entirely nonviolent in thought, word and deed. But we must keep nonviolence as our goal and make strong progress towards it,” wrote Sonam.

Katy Perry

One day after the attack, the singer shared a post from UNICEF to her Instagram account, featuring a statement from the organisation’s executive director calling for peace in the name of children in both Israel and Palestine. “More than anything, the children of Israel and the State of Palestine need a lasting political solution to the crisis, so that they can grow up in peace and free from the shadow of violence,” it read.

Mark Ruffalo

Actor Mark Ruffalo, best known for his portrayal of Hulk in Marvel films, took to social media and wrote, “Concerning the tragic events unfolding in Israel and Gaza, I am grief-stricken for the unspeakable suffering and loss of life and loved ones. This horrific violence must end. I have no answers obviously, but I feel it is absolutely necessary to focus on our shared human existence and reality. The sanctity of our common humanity will hopefully serve to heal the unimaginable wounds of division.

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