Tag: Save Palestine

  • Four more Hollywood superstars condemn assault on Palestine

    Four more Hollywood superstars condemn assault on Palestine

    As the tide turns with more activists and public figures taking to social media and the streets to condemn Israel’s barbaric genocide inflicted upon Palestinians, several A-list celebrities have joined in to condemn the war in Gaza.

    Actor Mark Ruffalo shared a link to a Huffpost article on the 10000 Jewish activists who stormed a congressional office building, and re shared a quote given by prominent Palestinian supporter and Jewish professor Naomi Klein:

    “Since we were children, so many of us have told ourselves that we would not stand by if we were ever witnesses to genocidal violence,” Naomi Klein said. “We told ourselves that we would raise our voices. We told ourselves we would put our bodies on the line. We pledged that such horrors would never again happen on our watch.”

    Ruffalo, Marvel’s Hulk, has been a vocal proponent of the Palestinian cause.

    Jenna Ortega, who is the star behind Netflix’s critically acclaimed series ‘Wednesday’ has remained a staunch supporter towards creating a free state for the Palestinians. She re-shared a post calling for an end to the ongoing genocide by a page called Jewish Voice For Peace.

    She then shared a post by a Jewish American poet and activist Andrea Gibson who wrote a detailed account of how US plays an active role in the on-going genocide of the Palestinians.

    Aimee Lou Wood, the actress from Netflix’s popular series ‘Sex Education’ shared a series of posts spreading awareness about the on-going genocide in Palestine, and shared links to the UN Relief Agency collecting funds to provide humanitarian relief to those suffering.

    Rapper Macklemore shared a lengthy statement on his Instagram account where he called for a Free Palestine and an end to the genocide of all its people.

  • Shifting tides: More prominent Hollywood celebrities are condemning the violence in Palestine

    Shifting tides: More prominent Hollywood celebrities are condemning the violence in Palestine

    After the horrific Al-Ahli Baptist hospital bombardment in Gaza, prominent celebrities as well as Jewish activists in the US have taken to social media and the streets to condemn the ongoing genocide of Palestinians, calling for a ceasefire. On Wednesday, 500 Jewish activists were arrested after they stormed the Congressional building, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

    READ MORE: 500 Jewish protesters arrested after demanding ceasefire inside Capitol Hill

    Hollywood celebrities are joining in on the voices to condemn the bombing of Gaza. Yara Shahidi released a statement on her Instagram account, demanding an end to the atrocities and a ceasefire.

    ‘We must also have the capacity to hold on to the urgent need for support and allyship for the Palestinian peoples who have been pushed into yet-another forced relocation, killed in designated places of refuge, and denied access to humanitarian aid- no access to water, electricity or food- violating explicit international humanitarian laws.”

    ‘Sex And The City’ actor and politician Cynthia Nixon condemned the violence in Palestine, urging her colleagues to join Cori Bush’s call for a ceasefire.

    Celebrity couple Chrissy Teigen and John Legend shared a joint statement on their Instagram account, revealing that they were working with organisations like World Central Kitchen and Doctor’s Without Borders to ensure children and families in both Palestine and Israel have access to humanitarian relief.

    In the last paragraph, the couple called upon world leaders to “do everything in their power to protect the human rights of children impacted by the ongoing conflict.”

    Doctors Without Borders has explicitly shown footage on their Instagram account of the massacre at Al-Ahli hospital after the Israeli attack, writing that, “Nothing justifies a shocking attack on a hospital and its many patients and health workers, as well as the people who sought shelter there.”

    World Central Kitchen has shared videos of food donations they have provided to struggling families affected by the war in Gaza and in Israel.

  • Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid are receiving death threats, phone numbers doxed after Palestine support

    Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid are receiving death threats, phone numbers doxed after Palestine support

    American-Palestinian supermodels Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid are receiving death threats after their vocal support for the liberation of Palestine. The siblings are known for expressing their anger towards Israel’s apartheid policies in Palestine. Bella also declared that she was not afraid of losing jobs act the cost of activism.

    According to TMZ, phone numbers of members of the Hadid family, including their father Mohammad Hadid, who was a survivor of the 1948 Nakba, brother Anwar, and mother Yolanda, were leaked. Spammers then sent them graphic descriptions of how they would murder them. Sources told the publication the family received threats through emails, social media as well as on phone calls, and the patriarch Mohammad is considering taking this up with the FBI.

    READ MORE: There is a painful history behind why supermodels Gigi, Bella Hadid support the Palestinian cause

    A few days ago, Gigi Hadid was directly targeted by an official Instagram account associated with Israel. The account criticised her on her Instagram post calling out the difference between anti-zionism and anti-semitism. Gigi had earlier shared a neutral stance expressing her sorrow over the Israeli lives lost, as well as Palestinians, praying for peace to prevail.

    In a series of posts, the Israeli account criticised her for ignoring the fake news about 40 beheaded Israeli babies, which has since then been debunked by several publications.

    READ MORE: Israel official account attacks Gigi Hadid on Insta, gets crushed on Twitter

  • ‘My heart aches’: Dua Lipa, Malala call for ceasefire in Gaza

    ‘My heart aches’: Dua Lipa, Malala call for ceasefire in Gaza

    After videos emerged online of the horrifying bombing by Israel on a hospital in Gaza, activist Malala Yousafzai and singer Dua Lipa have joined the voices calling for a ceasefire.

    Pop singer Dua Lipa addressed the situation in Palestine with a lengthy statement on her Instagram stories along with a link attached to a post asking for donations for Gaza. The singer penned: “With each passing day, my heart aches for the people of Israel and Palestine. Grief for the lives lost in the horrifying attacks in Israel. Grief as I witness the unprecedented suffering in Gaza, where 2.2 million souls, half of them children, endure unimaginable hardships.”

    The Grammy winning singer ended her note by urging for a ceasefire in Gaza and called for governments to “halt the unfolding crisis.”

     

    Nobel Prize winning activist Malala Yousafzai shared a video where she urged for peace and called for a ceasefire in Gaza, writing:

    “I’m horrified to see the bombing of al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza and unequivocally condemn it. I urge the Israeli government to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and reiterate the call for a ceasefire. I am directing $300K to three charities helping Palestinian people under attack.”

    I’m horrified to see the bombing of al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza and unequivocally condemn it. I urge the Israeli government to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and reiterate the call for a ceasefire. I am directing $300K to three charities helping Palestinian people under attack. pic.twitter.com/JiIPfnTUvY

    — Malala Yousafzai (@Malala) October 17, 2023

    Malala’s statement was criticised for not naming who was responsible for the Gaza bombing. Writer Fatima Bhutto wrote: “Call it what it is: a genocide. Call Israel by its name: an apartheid state”

    Call it what it is: a genocide.
    Call Israel by its name: an apartheid state. https://t.co/LNzWMmYgBY

    — fatima bhutto (@fbhutto) October 17, 2023

    Journalist Alia Chughtai wrote:

    “We heard for years @Malala speaking against terrorism, yet you can’t name Israel as the occupying force, or them being the one being the perpetrators. Your PR team clearly manages your statements, and you are disappointing for not speaking up against this terrorism. Shame.”

    We heard for years @Malala speaking against terrorism, yet you can’t name Israel as the occupying force, or them being the one being the perpetrators. Your PR team clearly manages your statements, and you are disappointing for not speaking up against this terrorism. Shame. https://t.co/HZRBNfcLiu

    — Alia Chughtai (@AliaChughtai) October 18, 2023

  • Israel official account attacks Gigi Hadid on Insta, gets crushed on Twitter

    Israel official account attacks Gigi Hadid on Insta, gets crushed on Twitter

    Last week, the official account of Israel drew backlash on X (formerly Twitter) when it attacked Pakistani cricket player Muhammad Rizwan after he dedicated his performance in the victory over Sri Lanka to the people of Gaza. On Monday, the official account of Israel on Instagram chose to target Palestinian-American model Gigi Hadid for a statement she gave about Palestinian genocide. The model shared a post clarifying that supporting the Free Palestinian movement was not anti-semitic.

    The Israeli account shared Hadid’s post and wrote in the caption: “Have you been sleeping the past week? Or are you just turning a blind eye to Jewish babies being butchered in their homes. Your silence is clear about where you stand. We see you.”

    The ‘Jewish babies butchered’ story stems from unverified claims about 40 babies murdered by Hamas.

    READ MORE: Did Hamas actually decapitate Israeli children and women? No, they did not.

    However, the death toll of Palestinian children killed by Israeli strikes has crossed 1000, according to Defense For Children International Palestine.

    Twitter (or X) users were outraged over the blatant manner a Palestinian woman was being targeted on the internet. One user wrote: “i hope more people will see how disgusting it is for a state affiliated account to attack a celeb like this. she is palestinian, she stands with her own people, she knows what happened and they are afraid of that. stop harassing her and stop k!lling palestinians.”

    Many people were quick to remind other users that Gigi’s father, Mohammad Hadid, was forcibly expelled along with his family during the 1948 Nakba. In a podcast, Mohammad Hadid revealed his family was not allowed to go back to their home in Safa after the expulsion.

    READ MORE: There is a painful history behind why supermodels Gigi, Bella Hadid support the Palestinian cause

  • Jemima publicly scolds brother Ben Goldsmith over Palestine genocide comments

    Jemima publicly scolds brother Ben Goldsmith over Palestine genocide comments

    British screenwriter and producer Jemima Goldsmith drew backlash last week over her neutral stance on Palestine genocide, getting criticised for refusing to condemn the brutality of the Israeli military.

    However, on Tuesday, Khan took to social media to condemn her brother, British financier and environmentalist Ben Goldsmith, tweets. Goldsmith, a vocal proponent of Israel, has criticised growing pro-Palestinian support in the UK. Ben shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) calling out the irony of Arabic countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Egypt condemning Israel while treating their own civilians in the same manner. However, Jemima responded in the comments saying:

    “On the contrary- Many of us have repeatedly called attention to the bombing of Yemenis by the Saudis. You just didn’t notice or care. Why do some innocent lives count more than others?”

    Ben later shared another tweet, saying: “Can anyone out there point me towards any genuine and rational suggestions from the pro Hamas, sorry pro Palestine mob as to what exactly Israel should have done in the wake of the atrocities inflicted on Israeli civilians last week? I’ve seen none. Clearly they can’t dismantle the borders and welcome the terrorists in. And they can’t very well do nothing either: There’s no country in the world that would do nothing. So what are they to do exactly? Answers on a postcard please.”

    To which Jemima responded by sharing a video of a retired Israeli soldier openly advocating to slaughter Palestinian women and children

    She further responded his comments writing: “No one really believes – least of all you- that flattening Gaza, killing 1000 innocent children (so far) will save hostages or bring peace.”

    Social media users applauded Jemima’s vicious take down of her brother’s comments. One user wrote: “Jemima schooling her brother publicly is a definitely queen shit.”

  • Fatima Bhutto, Kamila Shamsie, 600 authors sign open letter protesting after Frankfurt Book Fair shuts down Palestinian author

    Fatima Bhutto, Kamila Shamsie, 600 authors sign open letter protesting after Frankfurt Book Fair shuts down Palestinian author

    Pakistani writer and columnist Fatima Bhutto and Pakistani-British author Kamila Shamsie were among the 600 writers, academics and translators who signed an open letter in support of Palestinian author Adania Shibli. The ceremony was set to celebrate Shibli’s novel ‘Minor Detail’ by giving her the 2023 LiBeraturpreis, a German literature prize annually awarded to authors from Africa, Asia, Latin American or from Arabia.

    Fatima shared a screenshot of the letter on her Instagram account and urged her followers to read ‘Minor Detail’.

    This outrage arrives after Frankfurt Book Fair postponed the awards ceremony which was due to honour Shibli, providing the explanation “due to the war started by the Hamas, under which millions of people in Israel and Palestine are suffering.”

    In the original statement, LitProm said this was a joint decision made with the author. However, Shibli’s literary agency revealed to The Guardian the decision was not made with her permission, and had the awards ceremony been held she would have taken the moment to reflect on the power of literature during these cruel times.

    The open letter which includes Bhutto, British historian William Darlymple, Shamsie, Irish novelist Colm Toibin, called out the organisers behind the Frankfurt Book Fair writing it holds “a responsibility to be creating spaces for Palestinian writers to share their thoughts, feelings, reflections on literature through these terrible, cruel times, not shutting them down.”

    The event was due to honor Adania’s 2020 novel ‘Minor Detail’ which details the true story about the rape and murder of a Palestinian Bedouin girl by Israeli soldiers. The English translation was nominated for a National Book Award in 2020 and the International Booker Prize in 2021.

    Controversy surrounding the book began this week when the German newspaper, Die Tageszeitung, accused the book for portraying “the State of Israel as a murder machine.”

  • Ushna Shah, Sakina Samoon criticise Pakistani celebrities not speaking out against Palestine genocide

    Ushna Shah, Sakina Samoon criticise Pakistani celebrities not speaking out against Palestine genocide

    As the tide shifts around the world with protests calling for an end to the Palestinian genocide, many global celebrities like Riz Ahmed have joined in the cause. However in Pakistan, there is a noticeable absence of many prominent celebrities whose voices are critically needed during this time, and public figures are calling this silence out.

    Actress Ushna Shah took to her Twitter account to criticise many of her peers who have chosen to remain silent rather than call out the slaughter of Palestinians by Israel.

    “To my peers who haven’t spoken up: Say with me: I don’t support the ethnic cleansing of Palestine or Israel’s illegal occupation. I stand with Palestine.

    No excuses, no ‘both sides’, no vague ‘peace wishes’. Most of Hollywood is using their platform to be clear about their stance; we need to be clear in ours. Vague posts might protect brand deals, but this issue is bigger than ad money. Speak out, take a stand. DISINFORMATION IS EVERYWHERE; If you follow any Hollywood celebrity or western media you’ll see this clear as day. Palestine needs your voice. A massive ethnic cleansing is happening right now, this is bigger than all of us.”

    Veteran actress Sakina Samoon reshared a post by writer Fatima Bhutto on her Instagram account which condemned the silence of brown celebrities and influencers on their silence over Palestine. In the caption, the actress wrote: “Indeed pathetic. They want work from the western industry, endorsements etc.”

  • These are the celebrities raising their voice for Palestinians

    These are the celebrities raising their voice for Palestinians

    While it does feel like many celebrities in Hollywood are either pushing false information or ignoring the bombing of Gaza, there are singers and actors who are raising their voice in favour of Palestinian civilians, demanding that a ceasefire be declared.

    Roger Waters

    The former Pink Floyd singer released a video statement where he spoke about his Palestinian friend Lomi Algeria, who lost 11 members of her family during the Israeli bombing. He called for a ceasefire between both parties. Waters has been a very vocal proponent of the Palestinian cause.

    Academy and Emmy award winning actor Riz Ahmed released a lengthy statement on his social media accounts where he called for the world’s attention to the crimes committed by Israel in Gaza.

    Veteran Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon has been a staunch supporter for the freedom of Palestine, sharing video clips on her Twitter account calling to attention the dilapidated hospitals of Gaza.

    Hollywood actor John Cusack shared an account of his visit to Palestine and the difficulty it took to get through the security and borders, describing the land as an “open air prison”.

    He also addressed the argument that Palestinians should call for their freedom in a peaceful manner, sharing how they were shot by Israeli’s

    Avengers star Mark Ruffalo, shared a post by the UN calling to attention the limited facilities available for children and women in Gaza.

  • Hollywood actor Riz Ahmed calls for end to violence in Gaza

    Emmy award winning British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed has broken silence to call out the silence around the violence in Palestine. In a lengthy statement posted on his social media accounts, then ‘Nimona’ actor began the note by talking about the power of storytelling which takes audiences on a journey.

    “As storytellers we put ourselves in other people’s shoes and ask audiences to go on that journey with us. The reason this works is because underneath our differences, we feel the same fear, joy, grief and hope. Stories work because there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. There is only us. Any story that says otherwise, that some people aren’t like us, is a lie.”

    Addressing the ongoing one-sided narrative in the media, the actor pointed out that innocent lives are being lost.

    “What’s happening in Gaza now, and has been happening in Palestine under the Occupation for decades, is horrific and wrong. The depth and reality of this suffering cannot be ignored.

    If we look in only one direction, we will go even deeper into darkness. But this is exactly what is happening right how. We are being asked to look away while the civilians of Gaza, half of them children, are running out of time.

    If we are on the side of humanity we must urgently speak up and try to avert the loss of innocent life. This means calling for an end to the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza’s civilians and vital infrastructure, the denial of food, water, and electricity, and the forced displacement of people from their homes. These are morally indefensible war crimes.”

    Riz further wrote that now more than ever, it is important for all people to put themselves in the shoes of Gaza “before we all walk past the point of no return.”

    Riz ended the note by urging everyone to raise their voices because “staying silent is not an option.”

    “I’ll be posting links of how you can support, analysis from experts of all backgrounds advocating a just peace, and the voices of some people on the ground.