From left: Jennifer Garner, Adam Sandler and Yara Shahidi
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images; Paula Lobo/ABC via Getty Images; Stephane Cardinale – Corbis via Getty Images
Jennifer Garner, Adam Sandler, Yara Shahidi and more celebrities shared heartfelt messages for the innocent victims of the Israel-Hamas war amid increasing violence along the Gaza border since Saturday’s terrorist attack in Israel.
The news came as media reports indicated that a former leader of Hamas called on the Palestinian terrorist group’s supporters to take to the streets for a “day of rage.” Following the reports, SAG-AFTRA canceled its Friday pickets for New York City and Los Angeles, citing “potential safety concerns unrelated to our ongoing strike.” The gala at the Academy Museum, which was supposed to welcome top talent this Saturday, was also postponed “out of respect for the devastating conflict and loss of life abroad.”
On Thursday, 700 major Hollywood personalities signed an open letter in support of Israel launched by the nonprofit Creative Community for Peace. In it, they condemned the attacks, called for the return of the hostages and urged the entertainment community not to spread misinformation about the war. Gal Gadot, Jerry Seinfeld, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Pine, Mayim Bialik, Liev Schreiber, Amy Schumer and Michael Douglas were among the celebrities and executives who signed the letter.
Others in Hollywood continued to speak out on social media. Garner posted a lengthy message on her Instagram Friday morning focusing on the children affected by the war, which she said was “unbearable to watch.”
“And yet we must bear witness,” she wrote. “We must stand with all mothers and fathers who hold their children in this darkness and pray for all parents who are separated from their child or, God forbid, unable to hold their child. The human toll on innocent Israelis and innocent Palestinians is unimaginable and we know that children will be most affected.”
Sandler kept his message short, but shared that he was “heartbroken by the terrible attacks on Israel” and expressed his love and compassion to the families of the victims. “I pray for peace and the safety of innocent Israelis and Palestinians everywhere,” he concluded.
Shahidi began her message by explaining that it may seem like people behind a screen have limited skills and influence when posting on social media, but that “our belief in the sanctity of human life remains clear.”
“We sit in deep mourning that violence and displacement – both sporadic and systematic – are being used to deprive people of the right to peace, and we hope that we will all use our voices and spaces to promote a radical love “A people is not their government,” she wrote. “The truth that a people is not its regime. The truth about the terrible loss, the enduring fear, the rejection of violence, the flight toward peace, and the dissolution of the governments and regimes that seek to use human bodies, lives, and livelihoods as sites of domination and power.”
On Friday, SAG-AFTRA, which began the week negotiating with studios and streamers over a new deal before suspending talks, shared a statement on Hamas’ attack on Israel last Saturday and the ongoing conflict between the terror group and the country.
“SAG-AFTRA regrets and condemns the horrific acts of aggression against the people of Israel on October 7,” the statement said. “The attack was a fundamental violation of human rights and dignity. There is no justification for the murder and kidnapping of civilians. We mourn the loss of life and demand the safe return of the missing and hostages. We stand united against hatred and violence and pray for peace.”
Entertainment law firm Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole also released the following statement: “We are a firm that believes in and stands up for fundamental human rights for all people and against hate in all forms.” We are appalled by this week’s announcement Atrocities committed by Israel and the resulting violence affecting millions of innocent people in the region. There is nothing that can justify Hamas’ acts of terror against the Israeli people. We stand with our Jewish friends and colleagues who are filled with grief and pain. You should not have to wait in silence for others to speak out against hate and anti-Semitism. JSSK condemns those who use terror as a weapon. We pray for peace and for the safe return of the American and Israeli hostages, as well as all innocent civilians caught in this violent conflict.”
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