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A huge gathering of some of Hollywood’s biggest names praised President Joe Biden for his “unwavering moral conviction” and for helping bring home some of the hostages taken by Hamas during the terrorist attack on Israel.
The letter to Biden, published Monday on the website NoHostageLeftBehind, has the signatures of Amy Schumer, Bob Odenkirk, Gal Gadot, Chris Rock, Bradley Cooper, Madonna, Greg Berlanti, Constance Wu, Judd Apatow, Tyler Perry, Sacha Baron Cohen, Paramount Global boss Shari. Redstone, Taika Waititi, Olivia Wilde, Jason Blum, WME’s Ari Greenburg, Gersh’s Leslie Siebert, Zoe Saldana. Seth Meyers, Sean “Puffy” Combs and many others.
Read the full text of the letter below.
“Thank you for your unwavering moral conviction, leadership and support for the Jewish people, who have been terrorized by Hamas since the group’s founding over 35 years ago, as well as the Palestinians, who have also been terrorized, oppressed and persecuted by Hamas. The group has ruled the Gaza Strip for the past 17 years,” the statement said. “We all want the same thing: freedom for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace. Freedom from the brutal violence spread by Hamas. And the most important thing at the moment is the freedom of the hostages.
Even after the release of Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz on Monday, and mother and daughter Judith and Nathalie Raanan late last week, more than 200 people of different nationalities, from children to elderly people, who were abducted by Hamas in the October 7 attack remain captive . .
Judging by his stern and pointed speeches, his quick visit to Israel last week and the strong US military presence in the region, Biden has unequivocally supported the Jewish state and its right to self-defense following the deadly October 7 Hamas surprise attack. it killed 1,400 people and injured thousands more.
Hamas has also been very public about its goals.
In addition to explicit videos posted on social media about the siege, the destruction of cities, a music festival and military bases, Hamas also posted footage of women, elderly people and even small children being taken away. As airstrikes relentlessly hit the Gaza Strip, Israel has massed some 300,000 soldiers and reservists along the border for a ground invasion expected at any moment.
photo MIRIAM ULSTER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
As protests have erupted around the world over the humanitarian crisis, as well as attacks on Israel, it is estimated that thousands of Palestinians have died as a result of Tel Aviv’s response. Israel has ordered the immediate evacuation of citizens from its jurisdiction as its soldiers prepare to take steps to loot our Hamas, its leaders and infrastructure.
Reports from Tel Aviv and the District of Columbia claim that the ground invasion was delayed at Biden’s personal request to allow more time to free the hostages. There are also reports from the region that the delay may be coming to an end.
During this crisis, Hollywood’s public stance was questioned, even as incidents of anti-Semitism and other hate crimes increased in its immediate aftermath.
Despite requests from some of the biggest journalists in the business, the WGA decided not to say anything about the Israeli attack. However, the DGA and the still-on-striking SAG-AFTRA issued statements condemning the “horrific acts of aggression against the Israeli people on October 7.” Major agencies WME, CAA and UTA made similar remarks.
Earlier, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Haim Saban, UTA co-founder Jim Berkus, CAA’s Chris Silbermann, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz, Paramount’s Brian Robbins and others said, “We stand unequivocally in solidarity with Israel in the global fight against terrorism.” Disney’s Bob Iger and Dana Walden reached out to their employees, as did Warner Bros Discovery’s David Zaslav.
Corporately, Disney, Comcast, Skydance and others have donated millions to Magen David Adom, an affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and other organizations.
October 23, 2023
Dear President Biden,
We are encouraged by the release Friday of two American hostages, Judith Ranaan and her daughter Natalie Ranaan, and today’s release of two Israelis, Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, whose husbands remain in captivity.
But our relief is tempered by our great concern that 220 innocent people, including 30 children, remain in terrorist captivity, facing torture and death. They were captured by Hamas in a brutal massacre on October 7 in which more than 1,400 Israelis were killed: women were kidnapped, families were burned alive and babies were beheaded.
Thank you for your unwavering moral conviction, leadership and support for the Jewish people who have been terrorized by Hamas since its founding over 35 years ago, as well as the Palestinians who have also been terrorized, oppressed and persecuted by Hamas for the past 17 years until the group ruled Gaza.
We all want the same thing: freedom for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace. Freedom from the brutal violence spread by Hamas. And the most important thing at the moment is the freedom of the hostages.
We urge everyone not to rest until all hostages are released. No hostage can be left behind. American, Argentinean, Australian, Azerbaijani, Brazilian, British, Canadian, Chilean, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Eritrean, Philippine, French, German, Indian, Israeli, Italian, Kazakh, Mexican, Panamanian, Paraguayan, Peruvian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanians, Russians, South Africans, Spaniards, Sri Lankans, Thais, Ukrainians, Uzbeks or others, we need to bring them home.
Sincerely,
Adam and Jackie Sandler
Amy Schumer
Aaron Sorkin
Barry Diller
Behati Prinsloo
Bella Thorne
Ben Stiller
Bob Odenkirk
Bobby Brown
Bradley Cooper
Brett Gelman
Chris Rock
Constance Wu
Courteney Cox
David Alan Grier
David Chang
David Geffen
David Oyelowo
Diane von Furstenberg
Eli Roth
Emma Seligman
Eric Andre
Ewan McGregor
Gal Gadot
Gwyneth Paltrow
Harvey Keitel
Isla Fisher
Jack Black
James Brolin
Jason Blum
Jason Sudeikis
Jeff Goldblum
Jerry Seinfeld
Jesse Plemons
Jessica Biel
Jessica Seinfeld
Joey King
John Slattery
Jon Hamm
Jordan Peele
Josh Brolin
Judd Apatow
Judge Judy Sheindlin
Julia Garner
Julianna Margulies
Julie Rudd
Justin Theroux
Justin Timberlake
Karlie Kloss
Katy Perry
Kirsten Dunst
Lana Del Rey
Laura Dern
Liev Schreiber
Madonna
Martin Short
Michelle Williams
Mila Kunis
Nicola Peltz
Noah Tishby
Olivia Wilde
Orlando Bloom
Paul and Julie Rudd
Richard Jenkins
Rita Ora
Ross Duffer
Sacha Baron Cohen
Sam Levinson
Sarah Paulson
Sean Combs
Shira Haas
Sting and Trudie Styler
Taika Waititi
Thomas Keil
Tiffany Haddish
Tyler Perry
Will Ferrell
Andy Cohen
Alex Edelman
Amy Sherman Palladino
Aubrey Plaza
Barry Levinson
Billy Crystal
Brad Falchuk
Brian Grazer
Bridget Everett
Brooke Shields
Chelsea Handler
Chloe Fineman
Chris Jericho
Colleen Camp
David Schwimmer
Don Porter
Dean Cain
Debra Messing
Elisabeth Shue
Erin Foster
Eugene Levy
Gene Stupinski
Gina Gershon
Guy Oseary
Henry Winkler
Holland Taylor
James Corden
Jason Reitman
Jessica Elbaum
Jimmy Carr
Jonathan Ross
Josh Charles
Juliette Lewis
Kristen Schaal
Kristin Chenoweth
Lea Michele
Mark Foster
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Matthew Weiner
Michael Rappaport
Molly Shannon
Noah Schnapp
Patty Lupone
Regina Spektor
Sarah Foster
Sarah Cooper
Scott Brown
Seth Meyers
Sharon Stone
Zack Snyder
Zoey Deutch
Zosia Mamet
Zoe Saldana
Alex Aya
Aaron Bay Shook
Amy Chozik
Aron Colate
Adam Goodman
Alan Grubman
Adam Levine
Allan Loeb
Amy Pascal
Angela Robinson
Antonio Campos
Anthony Russo
Alexandra Shiva
Andrew Singer
Alison Stutter
Alona Tal
Ali Wentworth
Ari Dayan
Ari Greenburg
Arik Kneller
Ashley Levinson
Asif Sachu
Barbara Hershey
Barry Rosenstein
Beau Flynn
Ben Turner
Ben Winston
Ben Younger
Blair Cohan
Bobby Kotick
Brad Slater
Bradley Fisher
Bruna Papandrea
Cameron Curtis
Casey Neistat
Shit David
Charles Roven
Chris Fisher
Christian Carino
Cindy Berger
Claire Coffee
Craig Silverstein
Dan Aloni
Dan Rosenweig
Dana Goldberg
Dana Klein
Danny Strong
Daniel Palladino
Daniel Bernstein
Danny Cohen
Daphne Kastner
David Bernad
David Baddiel
David Ellison
David Gilmour and Polly Sampson
David Goodman
David Joseph
David Cohan
David Lowry
Deborah Lee Furness
Deborah Snyder
Donny Deutsch
Doug Liman
Douglas Chabbott
Eddie Kitsis
Edgar Ramirez
Elizabeth Himelstein
Embeth Davidtz
Emmanuel Chriqui
Eric Feig
Evan Jonikkate
Evan Winiker
Francis Benamou
Francis Lawrence
Fred Raskin
Gabe Turner
Gail Berman
Gary Barber
Genevieve Angelson
Gideon Ruff
Grant Singer
Greg Berlanti
Guy Nattivi
Hannah Fidell
Hannah Graf
Harlan Coben
Harold Brown
Henrietta Conrad
Howard Gordon
Ian Morris
Imran Ahmed
Inbar Lavi
Jackie Sandler
Jake Graf
Jake Kasdan
Jamie Ray Newman
Jaron Varsano
Jason Fuchs
Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen Biggs
Jason Segel
Yu. D. Lifshits
Jeff Rake
Jen Joel
Jeremy Piven
Jesse Itzler
Jesse Sisgold
Jill Littman
Jody Gerson
Joe Hipps
Joe Quinn
Joe Russo
Joe Tippett
Joel Fields
John Landgraf
Jon Bernthal
John Glickman
John Liebman
Jonathan Baruch
Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Tropper
Jonathan Mark Sherman
Jonathan Steinberg
Jonathan Tisch
Josh Goldstein
Josh Greenstein
Josh Grode
Julia Lester
Julie Greenwald
Karen Pollock
Kelly Lynch
Kevin Kane
Kevin Zegers
Kitao Sakurai
KJ Steinberg
Laura Pradelska
Lauren Shuker Bloom
Lawrence Mark
Laurie David
Lee Eisenberg
Leslie Siebert
Leo Perlman
Limor Gott
Lina, I’m leaving
Liz Garbus
Lizanne Rosenstein
Lizzie Tish
Lorraine Schwartz
Lynn Harris
Lior Cohen
Mandana Dayani
Maria Dizzia
Mara Buchsbaum
Mark Webb
Marco Perego
Mark Feuerstein
Mark Shedletsky
Mark Sheinberg
Matthew Rosengart
Matt Lucas
Matt Miller
Matthew Bronfman
Matthew Hiltzik
Matti Leshem
Dame Maureen Lipman
Max Muchnik
Maya Lasry
Meagan Oppenheimer
Melissa Zuckerman
Michael Ellenberg
Michael Aloni
Michael Green
Michael Rapino
Michael Weber
Mike Medavoy
Mimi Leder
Modi Vicik
Nancy Josephson
Natasha Leggero
Neil Blair
Neil Druckmann
Nicole Avant
Nina Jacobson
Noah Kirel
Noah Oppenheim
Norina Hertz
Odeya Rush
Oran Zegman
Pasha Kovalev
Paul Haas
Paul Pflug
Peter Traugott
Rachel Riley
Rafi Marmor
Ram Bergman
Rafael Margulis
Rebecca Angelo
Rebecca Moll
Reynaldo Marcus Green
Rich Statter
Richard Kind
Rick Hoffman
Rick Rosen
Robert Newman
Rob Rinder
Roger Birnbaum
Roger Green
Rosie O’Donnell
Ryan Feldman
Sam Trammell
Sarah Baker
Sarah Bremner
Sarah Trim
Scott Tenley
Seth Oster
Scott Brown
Scott Neustadter
Shannon Watts
Shari Redstone
Sharon Jackson
Shauna Pearlman
Shawn Levy
Sheila Nevins
Simon Sebag Montefiore
Simon Tichman
Skylar Astin
Stacy Snyder
Stephen Fry
Steve Agee
Steve Rifkind
Suzanne Felleman
Susie Arons
Todd Lieberman
Todd Moskowitz
Todd Waldman
Tom Freston
Tom Werner
Tomer Capone
Tracy Ann Oberman
Trudie Styler
Tyler James Williams
Vanessa Bayer
Veronica Grazer
Veronica Smiley
Whitney Wolfe Herd
Will Graham
Yamanieka Saunders
Yariv Milchan
Inon Kraitz