Hollywood Stars, Executives Sign Petition in Support of Israel
The pro-Israel activist group Creative Community for Peace has released a list with the names of nearly 200 Hollywood elite, including Seth Rogen, Amy Pascal, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Aaron Sorkin, who signed a statement criticizing Hamas.
The prominent figures who lent their names to the document range from actors Kelsey Grammer and Sylvester Stallone to execs Ryan Kavaunagh and Sherry Lansing. The group collectively stands firm against Hamas’ “ideologies of hatred and genocide.”
The document states that “Hamas cannot be allowed to rain rockets on Israeli cities, nor can it be allowed to hold its own people hostage. Hospitals are for healing, not for hiding weapons. Schools are for learning, not for launching missiles. Children are our hope, not our human shields.”
Actors Sarah Silverman, Minnie Driver, Mayim Bialik, Josh Charles, Tony Goldwyn and Roseanne Barr, TV host Bill Maher, directors Ivan Reitman and William Friedkin, showrunners Diane English and Doug Ellin, and producers Avi Arad and Scooter Braun are among the signers.
The campaign was spearheaded by showbiz lawyers Fred Toczek and Patti Felker, and the statement was circulated by Creative Community for Peace director Lana Melman on Saturday.
This statement follows pro-Israel op-eds from Jon Voight and Kavanaugh, as well as a pro-Palestinian open letter from Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz.
Here’s the full statement:
We, the undersigned, are saddened by the devastating loss of life endured by Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza. We are pained by the suffering on both sides of the conflict and hope for a solution that brings peace to the region.
While we stand firm in our commitment to peace and justice, we must also stand firm against ideologies of hatred and genocide which are reflected in Hamas’ charter, Article 7 of which reads, “There is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!” The son of a Hamas founder has also commented about the true nature of Hamas.
Hamas cannot be allowed to rain rockets on Israeli cities, nor can it be allowed to hold its own people hostage. Hospitals are for healing, not for hiding weapons. Schools are for learning, not for launching missiles. Children are our hope, not our human shields.
We join together in support of the democratic values we all cherish and in the hope that the healing and transformative power of the arts can be used to build bridges of peace.
Related stories
'Expendables 3′ Flops: Is Piracy to Blame?
Badass Grandpas: 'The Expendables 3′ and 12 More Seasoned Stars
'The Expendables 3′ Premiere: 'Break a Leg,' Says Sylvester Stallone to Harrison Ford
Get more from Variety and Variety411: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
