US actors criticise use of antisemitism to shut down discussion on Gaza
A prominent American Jewish acting family has criticised the use of antisemitism to shut down discussions about Israel's policies in Gaza.
Actors Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody also told The New York Times they thought the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were threatening the safety of Jewish communities internationally.
"The politics of what he’s doing is the worst thing for Jewish people. It’s like lighting a candle for anybody that has any antisemitic feelings," said Grody.
"It’s creating a generation of wounded and hurt kids who will understandably be very angry. I feel deeply troubled and horrified by what is happening in my name. So I am very proud of every Jewish person that stands up for the humanity of people in the Middle East."
Patinkin concurred, referencing a line from the film The Princess Bride, in which he starred.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
"'You know, I have been in the revenge business so long, now that it's over, I do not know what to do with the rest of my life,'" he said.
"And I ask Jews all over the world to consider what this man Benjamin Netanyahu, and his right-wing government, is doing to the Jewish people all over the world.
"They are endangering not only the State of Israel, which I care deeply about and want to exist, but endangering the Jewish population all over the world."
Industry pressure
The US entertainment industry has been divided over the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 60,000 people since October 2023.
Some artists, actors and production staff have alleged that there is a concerted campaign by industry executives to silence solidarity with Palestinians.
Dozens of individuals - from actors and dancers to carpenters, set dressers, animators, composers and screenwriters - recently told Middle East Eye that they had been punished for speaking out against the conflict.
In February, Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank assaulted and detained Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land - an attack that Ballal's co-director, Basel Adra, suggested may have been "revenge on us for making the movie".
Although the Academy had recognised Ballal's work with an Oscar just weeks earlier, it refused to condemn Israel's actions, issuing only a vague statement about "reports of violence" against Ballal and condemning "violence of this kind anywhere in the world".
Speaking to The New York Times, Grody and Patinkin - who have been open advocates for a ceasefire in Gaza - criticised the use of antisemitism as justification for shutting down discussion about the conflict.
"I hate the way some people are using antisemitism as a claim for anybody that is critical about a certain policy," said Grody.
"As far as I am concerned, compassion for every person in Gaza is very Jewish, and the fact that I abhor the policies of the leader of that country does not mean I’m a self-hating Jew or I’m antisemitic."
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
