Yahoo Lifestyle "I Don't Want Any Innocent People To Suffer": 16 Celebs Who Have Publicly Supported Palestine
For those who don't know, Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people in Israel during an Oct. 7 attack. Since then, Israel has responded with air and ground attacks that have killed over 35,000 Palestinians — a number that continues to grow. Thirty-one out of thirty-six hospitals in Gaza have been destroyed and are now inaccessible for Palestinian families facing attacks, and an Israeli airstrike set fire to a camp designated as a safety zone meant for housing displaced Palestinians.
As tensions and the death count grow, celebrities are using their platforms to call for a ceasefire — and some have gone beyond a simple call by publicly supporting Palestinians with donations, fundraising, protesting, and more.
1.Bella Hadid:
The Hadid sisters, whose father fled the war with his family as a baby, were early supporters of their ancestral home of Palestine. In an Instagram post, model Bella Hadid wrote: "Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart. Always… If you don’t know what’s happening right now in Gaza, watch my stories (and find other accounts leading to Palestinians on the ground) and please educate yourself on the on going occupation and genocide that is happening RIGHT NOW in Gaza. Do not be desensitized to the horror that is being endured by the Palestinian people."
2.Gigi Hadid:
On Oct. 10, Gigi Hadid posted the following on Instagram: "My thoughts are with all those affected by this unjustifiable tragedy, and every day that innocent lives are taken by this conflict–too many of which are children. I have deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation, it's a responsibility I hold daily. I also feel a responsibility to my Jewish friends to make it clear, as I have before: While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them included harm of a Jewish person."
She and her sister Bella also jointly donated $1 million to humanitarian efforts in Gaza.
Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan has been incredibly busy with press events supporting Season 3 of the hit Netflix series, and she's rarely seen out without her ceasefire pin. The 37-year-old has raised $1.2 million for the Palestine Children’s Relief through social media campaigns, and has shut down voices in the industry who have told her she will not get future work if she continues her advocacy.
“You do get told, ‘You won’t get work,’ ‘You won’t do this.’ But I also think, deep down, if you know that you’re coming from a place of ‘I don’t want any innocent people to suffer,’ then I’m not worried about people’s reactions,” the actor told Teen Vogue.
4.The Weeknd:
Singer The Weeknd — aka Abel Tesfaye — has made two large donations in support of Palestinians. The first was a $2.5-million donation in December 2023 aimed at providing 820 metric tons of food parcels to feed Palestinians; and the second was a $2-million donation from his XO Humanitarian Fund in April. The money went toward 18 million loaves of bread for struggling families in Gaza, Variety reports.
5.Kehlani:
A long-standing and vocal advocate, singer Kehlani (who uses she/they pronouns) used their "Next 2 U" music video to take a hard stance on the war. In addition to dancing in front of the Palestinian flag, Kehlani ended the video with the following message: “We tried to make a scroll honoring the names of thousands of deceased children,” it reads. “The list was so long that our fastest scroll at 3 minutes was illegible.” So, they included a full list in the description.
They also shared a series of videos on Instagram, in which Kehlani called out industry peers who have been silent on the war. "Nothing we do has a fucking purpose without people and you can’t turn the fuck around and reach back for people? You can’t speak? Disgusting!” she said.
6.Jenna Ortega:
Wednesday actor Jenna Ortega has previously shared a link to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund on her Instagram story, according to Teen Vogue, and posted the photo below on Instagram with the message: "Masses debating over a ceasefire while thousands upon thousands of children continue being slaughtered. Where is the humanity."
7.Macklemore:
At a pro-Palestine march in Washington, DC, singer Macklemore found himself being handed a mic and offering an impromptu speech. He said: "I didn’t expect to be on a microphone. There are thousands of people here more qualified to speak on the issue of a free Palestine than myself. But I will say this. They told me to be quiet. They told me to do my research, to go back, that it’s too complex to say something, right? To be silent in this moment. In the last three weeks I’ve gone back and I’ve done some research … I’m teachable. I don’t know enough. But I know enough that this is a genocide."
8.Dua Lipa:
On May 28, singer Dua Lipa shared a slide from the Artists4Ceasefire organization, along with the message: “Burning children alive can never be justified. The whole world is mobilizing to stop the Israeli genocide. Please show your solidarity with Gaza."
Aliah Anderson / Getty Images, Instagram: Dua Lipa
9.Ariana Grande:
Ariana Grande re-shared Nicola Coughlan's post to raise funds for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund on her Instagram story.
10.Hunter Schafer:
Euphoria actor Hunter Schafer was arrested at a February protest in support of Palestinians at NBC headquarters. The demonstration, organized by Jewish Voice for Peace NYC, took place ahead of President Joe Biden's appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
The group criticized Biden for his role in the war via providing arms to Israel, NBC News reported.
Hunter was escorted out by police while wearing a ceasefire shirt.
11.Sara Ramirez:
Former And Just Like That... actor Sara Ramirez previously shared support for a ceasefire and photos of themself at pro-Palestinian demonstrations on Instagram before they removed their account.
12.Kid Cudi:
In an Instagram post, the rapper and actor wrote: "I can't watch what's happening in the world and remain silent. I can't imagine the pain people are feeling. Seeing their entire neighborhoods bombed, losing generations of family members, parents crying over their children's lifeless bodies, communities turning into mass graves, people digging through the rubble of their homes in hopes of finding remains of their loved ones – a pain no one should have to go through.
...The collective punishment Palestinians are suffering under Israel's illegal occupation is unfathomable. Anti-semitism is never welcome. But let's be clear – supporting Palestinian liberation is not antisemetic, it's human. Palestinians deserve freedom. This isn't politics, these are real lives. And I'm just a dude who gives a fuck about humanity. I stand with the people of Palestine."
13.Indya Moore
In January, a group of pro-Palestinian protesters descended on Sundance to share their message, and Pose actor Indya Moore was among them. Chants rang out, including calls to "Free Palestine" and "Stop the genocide," according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Over a microphone, Indya said: “I’m gay as — God forgive me — fuck. I love everybody. I love people. I have Israeli friends. I have Jewish friends. I have Palestinian friends. Everybody sees what’s happening. They all agree, there needs to be a ceasefire. Stop telling us to hate each other. Stop telling us they hate each other. They also know that the Palestinian children that have been murdered are not responsible for freeing the hostages right now. That’s just the truth, right? The children are innocent.”
14.Melissa Barrera:
Indya Moore was not the only actor to make an appearance at the previously mentioned demonstration. They were joined by former Scream actor Melissa Barrera, who was recently fired from Scream 7 after referring to the happenings in Gaza as "genocide," "ethnic cleansing," and "like a concentration camp."
In response to her firing, Spyglass, the company behind Scream 7's production, released the following statement: “Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech."
Since then, the film's director and costar Jenna Ortega have dropped from production.
15.Ramy Youssef:
Poor Things actor Ramy Youssef was among many artists who sported ceasefire pins at the 2024 Oscars. When asked about it, he told Variety: “We’re calling for immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza. We’re calling for peace and lasting justice for the people of Palestine. It’s a universal message of, ‘Let’s stop killing kids. Let’s not be part of more war.’ No one has ever looked back at war and thought a bombing campaign was a good idea. To be surrounded by so many artists who are willing to lend their voices, the list is growing. A lot of people are going to be wearing these pins tonight. There’s a lot of talking heads on the news, this is a space of talking hearts. We’re trying to have this big beam to humanity.”
16.And finally, Susan Sarandon:
Actress and long-time activist Susan Sarandon was dropped by her talent agency after making an appearance at a pro-Palestine rally, where 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.” Further, "There’s a terrible thing that’s happened where antisemitism has been confused with speaking up against Israel. I am against antisemitism. I am against Islamophobia.”
She has since apologized after her words were viewed as anti-Semitic.
