On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led militants broke through Israel’s border and attacked communities in southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. Most of those killed were civilians. Yet the years since Oct. 7 have highlighted another phenomenon: celebrities increasingly inserting themselves into one of the world’s most complicated conflicts.
The attack’s brutality is well documented. A U.N. mission later found reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred at several locations during the Oct. 7 attacks.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Actors, singers, and musicians certainly have the same right to speak as anyone else. But fame does not give someone’s political views greater authority, and a large audience is not the same as expertise.
That distinction is too often forgotten.
John Cusack, Roger Waters, Susan Sarandon, Cynthia Nixon, Mark Ruffalo, Macklemore, and others are among the prominent entertainers who have publicly criticized Israel or supported the Palestinian cause. Their celebrity gives them enormous platforms. But what particular expertise does being an actor or musician provide on the history, politics, and security of the Middle East?
Cusack provides one example. The advocacy organization StopAntisemitism named him its “Antisemite of the Week” in 2024 and accused him of sharing posts denying that Hamas raped women on Oct. 7. Cusack rejected the organization’s accusations, calling them lies. On June 17, 2019, this actor retweeted an antisemitic meme featuring a hand with the Star of David crushing people, adding the trope “follow the money.” He later deleted the tweet, apologizing and claiming he thought he was endorsing a pro-Palestinian message.
That is precisely why public figures should exercise caution when making sweeping pronouncements on complicated events. Millions of followers do not transform opinion into fact.
Celebrities have every right to criticize Israel, defend Palestinians, criticize Hamas, or argue about U.S. foreign policy. Their audiences have an equally important right to decide how much weight those opinions deserve.
BEIJING PAID THE BILL. JIHADIS WROTE THE SCRIPT. HOLLYWOOD SUPPLIED THE USEFUL IDIOTS
An Oscar, a Grammy, or a sold-out concert shows artistic achievement. It is not a credential in diplomacy, history, or Middle Eastern affairs.
Fame does not mean expertise.
William Pollack has spent four decades owning and operating local radio stations, television stations, and movie theaters.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
