Since October, celebrities have spoken out about the escalating tensions between Israel and Palestine. The conflict has attracted attention from various platforms and many big-name celebrities like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Angelina Jolie, Selena Gomez and Noah Schnapp, who have all shared their opinions on social media.
According to The Washington Post, the war began on Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel. The attack turned into a deadly and chaotic rampage through civilian areas. Hamas, a militant group that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, has said the aim of the attack was "to free Palestinian prisoners, stop Israeli aggression on Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to break the siege on Gaza."
Israel declared war on Hamas on the day of the attack. Since then, Gaza has been bombarded with Israeli air and artillery strikes that have killed thousands and injured more than 26,400 people, with many of them being children, according to The Gaza Health Ministry.
Some celebrities have received backlash throughout the last three months because they have not openly expressed which side of the conflict they are on.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson says he is not affiliated with either side. On Oct. 10, 2023, the Rock shared an Instagram post condemning terrorism and praying for "compassion and resolve."
In the post, he stated he was "...heartbroken, angry, and sickened by the brutal murders and kidnapping of Jewish people through the horrific acts of the Hamas terrorist group."
The comments have been turned off on the post because many people believe his message favors Israel and places more blame on Palestinians. Although he did mention the loss of Palestinian lives, he did not specifically mention Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip, only the destruction caused by Hamas.
Angelina Jolie is another celebrity who has been ruffling feathers recently. Jolie has been known for her humanitarian work throughout her career. In an Instagram post, she expressed support for civilians on both sides of the conflict and hoped for a ceasefire and the return of hostages taken by Hamas.
Fans were upset because she chose to remain neutral on the situation. One Instagram user commented on her page, "How did you manage to say so much without saying anything?”
However, celebrities like Selena Gomez are examples of big names in the media who are being canceled and boycotted. After Gomez shared her views on the conflict overseas, she took a break from Instagram. She has faced harsh criticism after trying to remain "neutral" on the subject.
"We need to protect ALL people," Gomez said in an Instagram story on Oct. 30. "Especially children and stop the violence for good. I'm sorry if my words will never be enough for everyone or a hashtag. I just can't stand by innocent people getting hurt. That's what makes me sick. I wish I could change the world. But a post won't."
Her comments section is limited to this day, and there are hateful comments on old posts criticizing her for turning off comments. Fans are upset because of her mass following on social media and how she "won't do anything."
Gomez used her Rare Beauty platform on Instagram to address the crisis in Gaza, which ultimately faced backlash. The post included statements like, "...We remain heartbroken by the horrible terror attack against innocent civilians in Israel on Oct. 7, many of them also children. There is no situation where attacks on civilians are acceptable. We strongly denounce any and all forms of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia." Now, her brand is being boycotted. The post's comment section is still open, and there are various angry comments regarding Gomez's views.
One of the most notably canceled celebrities is Noah Schnapp. The “Stranger Things" star has been harshly critiqued after he was seen posing with stickers reading, "Zionism is sexy." The Jewish-American actor was also filmed with friends in a cafe, showing off the stickers while laughing and joking. Other stickers they were holding read, "Hamas is ISIS."
In a video by TikTok user @travelingnurse, she says that Schnapp is not the only reason "Stranger Things" should be boycotted. She shared a clip of "Stranger Things" star Brett Gelman telling TMZ that he agrees with Schnapp and did not find anything wrong with what Schnapp originally said. Since then, fans have begun to boycott the television show, refusing to watch the upcoming season, and some fans have even tried to get Schnapp off the show.
However, one actor has been fired for her opinions regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict. Melissa Barrera, star of Scream 7, was fired after sharing an Instagram post calling for Congress, President Joe Biden and other world leaders to call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost. In an article by USA Today, Barrera spoke about how she is "at peace" after being fired from Scream 7.
"I'm not the first person that's happened to, but it was shocking," Barrera said. "I don't even know what to say. I think everything that happened was very transparent, on both sides, and I know who I am, and I know that what I said always came from a place of love and a place of humanity and a place of human rights and a place of freedom for people, which shouldn't be controversial. It shouldn't be up for debate."
With the ongoing conflict overseas, online cancel culture has become out of control. Many celebrities are facing criticism, some for choosing a side to support and others for remaining neutral.
At the end of the day, not all celebrities are activists, and they are certainly not the most well-informed political commentators. Rather than devoting time to criticizing the opinions of strangers, we should spend our energy on more productive methods of change like protests, boycotts, contacting members of Congress and educating our friends and family.
