“Friends” star David Schwimmer called on Jews in Hollywood to “stand up” and be brave by speaking out against the “terrifying rise in anti-Semitism” in our country and around the globe.
Speaking to the audience at the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) annual “Never Is Now” antisemitism conference in New York on Tuesday, the 58-year-old actor called out those in the entertainment business who have chosen to keep a “low profile,” calling on them to “say anything in solidarity with the Jewish community.”
“As you know, speaking out often comes at a cost,” Schwimmer said. “Like so many others, I’ve been attacked and threatened by people I’ve never met. I’ve been abandoned by people I thought were friends and by organizations I thought were allies, but I’ve also found amazing moments of meaning and solidarity.”
“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,” he added before saying “I really wish you would [speak out],” to thunderous applause from the attendees.
“I wish you would stand up,” Schwimmer continued. “I wish you would speak out, because your voice would be so meaningful to your fans who love you, to your community members who need you, to folks who could use just a little solidarity right now from people they respect and look up to.”
The actor and director said they “don’t have to say anything political” or to try and “solve the conflict in the Middle East. Just say that you stand with your Jewish friends, colleagues and neighbors against hatred and discrimination. Say that what’s happening on our college campuses and in our schools and to Jewish owned businesses is totally unacceptable.”
“Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot also spoke during the event and said that it’s “crazy that just saying that [I’m Jewish], just expressing such a simple fact about who I am, feels like a controversial statement?”
“But sadly this is where we are at today,” the 39-year-old actress said. “I am proud to be an Israeli and I am proud to be Jewish. But this is a time when many of us, in the Jewish community, have had to find our voice and confront the hatred against us, even if it’s extremely uncomfortable.”
“Never did I imagine that on the streets of the United States and different cities around the world, we would see people not condemning Hamas, but celebrating, justifying and cheering on a massacre of Jews,” she added, noting the response by the world to the October 7 terrorist attack against Israelis.
“Here’s the thing, however much you tried to avoid it before-even if speaking up wasn’t really your thing-none of us can ignore the explosion of Jew hatred around the world anymore and that’s what I’m doing…my name is Gal and I’m Jewish and we have had enough of Jew hatred,” the actress continued.
No comments:
Post a Comment