Stop Saying Stupid Things About the Israel-Hamas Conflict
The problems between Israel and the Palestinians have been going on for decades at this point. But over the last couple of months, things have gotten much, much worse with Hamas attacking Israel and Israel responding with an overwhelming amount of force.
Naturally, this has led to a lot of people voicing their feelings and opinions on the matter, particularly celebrities. Some are passionate, insightful, and empathetic. Most are downright stupid. If you’re saying stupid things, then you need to shut up right now because you are not helping at all.
Israel vs. Hamas
At absolute best, Hamas is a terrorist group that dubiously took control over Gaza almost 20 years ago in an election so ridiculous you’d think Putin rigged it. This has left millions of civilians caught between terrorists and an Israeli government just looking for an excuse to raze Gaza.
Unfortunately, Hamas gave them one hell of an opening on October 7, 2023. Hamas essentially invaded Southern Israel, killing hundreds of civilians and abducting others. Hamas acts like they’re trying to liberate the Palestinians. Really, they just don’t like Jews.
The problems is that the Israeli government isn’t exactly a fan of the Palestinians in the first place, Hamas members or otherwise. Under Israeli rule, the Palestinians have been trapped in a brutal form of apartheid, one the larger international community is only starting to acknowledge.
Israel has taken the opportunity to destroy Gaza, crush the Palestinians, and, most likely, take the rest of the land for themselves. Keep in mind the actions of the ultra right wing Israeli government are not really in line with the Jewish faith.
Talking Trash
As one would expect, this has led to a lot of people, particularly in the media, saying really dumb things about the situation. Actors, producers, and more can’t seem to shut their freaking mouths about it. The loss of life is horrifying, but celebrity opinions on it are rarely necessary.
Susan Sarandon really dumbed it up the other day when she said, “There are a lot of people afraid of being Jewish at this time and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence.” Holy fuck.
If anyone knows what it’s like to be persecuted for their religious beliefs or their ethnicity, it would be members of the Jewish community. Sarandon’s comments seem to indicate she believes American Jews do not face any form of violence in her own country. If true, that’s just factually wrong.
Hopefully, her comments have been misinterpreted or taken out of context, but it doesn’t seem like that’s the case. Yes, the world needs to stand up in defense of the Palestinian civilians who are being butchered by a militarily superior foe. That doesn’t mean you ignore the history of oppression Jews have faced in your own backyard to make a dubious point.
Distractions…
Instead of talking about the plight of Palestinians, media outlets are now focused on Sarandon losing her representation because of her comments. That’s not the only time this shift in focus has happened since fighting broke out in earnest, and it likely won’t be the last.
Melissa Barrera is another example of this. Supporting Palestine is one thing. Actually spreading anti-Semitic propaganda is another, and Barrera has certainly been stepping on that line. It may have been somewhat unintentional, but it is still distracting.
When famous people say something ignorant, uninformed, and/or just plain stupid, it distracts from the real issue. People start discussing the fallout from that instead of actual problems. I like Susan Sarandon but her opinions on the war are not front page news. I’m way more concerned about dead babies in both Israel and Gaza.
Everyone is welcome to voice their opinions. That’s how freedom of speech works. But celebrities have an innate way of making situations about themselves by simply opening their mouths. Sometimes the best thing you can do is back off and keep the focus where it belongs.
