“Friends” star David Schwimmer is urging celebrities to stand up against antisemitism, saying that with his fame comes “privilege,” and “a responsibility to use my voice in moments like this, at a time of danger, bigotry and violence.”
“I get that speaking out is hard,” the sitcom star said during a speech at the ADL’s Never is Now conference in New York City.
“Plenty of people I respect, even some of my heroes in entertainment, music and sports, have chosen to keep a low profile and sit this one out, including some whose careers have been made by leaning into their Jewish identity, and others who have won acclaim for playing Jews onscreen,” he said, “Some of them are doing a lot behind the scenes, privately and in their own way, but so many have chosen not to say anything publicly at all. And if I can say something directly to them: I really wish you would.”
He added, “Your voice would be so meaningful to your fans who love you, to your community members who need you, to folks who can use just a little solidarity right now.”
Schwimmer has also been vocal on social media, calling out Kanye West and asking Elon Musk to remove the disgraced rapper from X.
“No one’s asking you to solve the conflict of the Middle East,” he said. “Just say that you stand with your Jewish friends, colleagues, and neighbors against hatred and what’s happening on our college campuses and in our schools and to Jewish-owned businesses is totally unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, “Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot called for a return of the hostages taken on Oct. 7 during the Hamas attack on Israel.
“We want the hostage families to know that we have their back,” Gadot said, “We need them to know that wherever they go in the world where there is a Jewish community, they will always find those who campaigned for them, who love them and who will never let them walk alone. This is who we are and who we will always be: Taking responsibility for each other.”
Israeli Hen Mazzig, a senior fellow at the Tel Aviv Institute, was also on hand to help host the summit. Mazzig has been dubbed a “whisperer to the stars” on Middle East issues, helping high-profile people articulate their message.
He tells us that there are still those in Hollywood who are afraid to take a stand.
“If you speak up for a minority community you should be celebrated by Hollywood and by the cultural giants that are speaking up for everyone else,” he told Page Six. “But when it comes to the Jewish community, there is fear associated with it.”
Mazzig, who noted that the majority of U.S. Jews are Zionists, says people need to remember that the Jewish people are not the Israeli government.
“When you speak about Jewish identity, it is inevitable that people will hold you accountable to things that Israel is doing,” he says. “It shouldn’t be like this. Our Jewish identity should not be reliant on the Israeli government, just like if you support America, it doesnt mean you support a specific president or specific government.”
He added, “You can disagree with politicians, but it’s only when it comes to Israel that it seems like if you are speaking about Jewish identity and about Israelis or the right of these people to exist without fear, it’s making you an apologist for the government, which I completely reject.”
Mazzig is working on a YouTube show called “And They’re Jewish,” launching in April that he tells us seeks to humanize Jewish people and “remind the world that we are just like them.”
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