Why Jon Voight is speaking out on Gaza and Hollywood activism
Hollywood celebrities on both sides of the political aisle are alternately supporting 鈥� and condemning 鈥� Israel's month-long military operation in the Gaza Strip聽as the climbs to more than 1,700 Palestinian and 67 Israeli casualties.
Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight is the latest to jump into the verbal fray. But the Middle East conflict has already heard from movie actors, radio jockeys, musicians and music producers. If there were a scorecard, it would be tilted toward public sympathy with the Palestinians.
Last week, Spanish actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, along with Spanish director Pedro Almod贸var, denounced Israel's aerial campaign in to a Spanish newspaper, calling for the European Union "to condemn聽the bombing by land, sea and air against the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip," adding:聽
Gaza is living through horror these days, besieged and attacked by land, sea and air. Palestinians' homes are being destroyed, they are being denied water, electricity [and] free movement to their hospitals, schools and fields while the international community does nothing."
Their letter was "one of the most聽strident messages from any global cultural figure regarding the current conflict," reported , and their comments provoked a fierce backlash from a number of other celebrities.
In one response, actor Jon Voight (father to Angelina Jolie),聽criticized Mr. Bardem and Ms. Cruz for "anti-Semitism," in聽a Saturday oped in the聽.
Mr. Voight wrote that, "instead of my peers sticking up for the only democratic country in that region, they go and take out poison letters against them."
Voight was not the only celebrity to fling an accusation of anti-Semitism against the two Spanish movie stars.聽Shmuley Boteach, labeled America's most famous rabbi,聽wrote in 聽that "Penelope and Javier have crossed the line from vacant and hypocritical Hollywood human rights grandstanding into unforgivable anti-Semitism."
In Bardem and Cruz's defense, neither celebrity has been heard in the past to espouse anti-Semitic remarks. But under international law, the celebrities' claim of "genocide" may not pass muster.
The backlash may have led the married Spanish couple to clarify their comments. Bardem wrote a later letter stating "We detest anti-Semitism as much as we detest the horrible and painful consequences of war," while Cruz penned a for "unity and peace."
Other celebrities who have tweeted in support of the Palestinians include Pink Floyd's Roger Waters and Zayn Malik of British boy band One Direction, whose hashtag of #FreePalestine was retweeted almost 300,000 times聽among his 13 million followers.
Pop sensation Rihanna and basketball star Dwight Howard had previously tweeted #FreePalestine only then to have聽聽their posts minutes later, with Howard saying he would never comment on global affairs again.
On the pro-Israel side, radio jockey Howard Stern spoke out in solidarity with the Jewish state on his Sirius XM show last month.
鈥淚f you are anti-Israel, you are anti-America," Stern . "It鈥檚 the only democracy over there. It鈥檚 the only friend we have who鈥檚 willing to fight and stand up for what鈥檚 right.鈥欌��
Joan Rivers also evoked support for the IDF operation in Gaza.聽鈥淟et me just tell you, if New Jersey were firing rockets into New York, we would wipe them out,鈥欌�� she told .聽鈥淚f we heard they were digging tunnels from New Jersey to New York, we would get rid of Jersey.鈥�
And American Idol host Simon Cowell weighed in, with reports that Mr. Cowell his checkbook and gave $150,000 to an Israeli soldiers' charity in Los Angeles last year.
