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Several Disney stars are showing their support of Israel, vowing to stand in solidarity with the nation as the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas escalates following an unprecedented attack by the group over the weekend.
Credit: Disney/Canva
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared war on Hamas, the Palestinian militant group responsible for untold atrocities resulting from the group’s attacks on the Israeli people, which began on Saturday with a shocking assault by Palestinian gunmen who descended onto a crowd of thousands at the Supernova music festival held near the Israel/Gaza border.
Witnesses say the militants arrived on foot, by truck, and by paragliders–some brandishing AR-47 assault rifles–during the festival, where 3,500 young people were in attendance in a celebration of music and the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
The four kinds of special vegetation in the celebration of Sukkot/Credit: Canva
At least 260 people’s lives were stripped from them at the Supernova festival, and hundreds more were injured, making Saturday’s massacre the single worst civilian attack in the country’s history. Not since the Holocaust have so many Jews been killed in a single day. Since the attacks began on Saturday, more than 1,200 have been killed, including 22 Americans.
Condemnation of the Hamas Attacks from the U.S. and Around the World
The attacks have elicited condemnation from all parts of the globe. On Sunday, President Joe Biden vehemently condemned the attacks by Hamas militants and Hezbollah, saying in a statement:
The United States unequivocally condemns this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza. Terrorism is never justified. My Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.
President Joe Biden/Credit: Flickr
Celebrities and other influencers have also taken to social media to share their support for Israel and the Israeli people and to denounce the terrorist attacks on Israel at the hands of Hamas and Hezbollah–including many who are well-known to Disney fans as they have starred in Disney, Lucasfilm, and Marvel films over the years.
As in other times of disaster and tragedy in the world, many of those celebrities are using their voices online to show support and concern for those affected by the attacks that began on Saturday and have been ongoing in the days since then and to denounce terrorism of any kind, including the egregious attacks carried out by the militant groups against Israel.
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who starred in Disney’s Freaky Friday and who plays Madame Leota in Disney’s newest iteration of Haunted Mansion, showed her support for Israel with a post that simply features the Israeli flag. Actor Mark Hamill, known best as Luke Skywalker in the Disney/Lucasfilm Skywalker Saga, posted on X, formerly Twitter, simply saying, “America stands with Israel.”
America stands with Israel ✊#ALWAYS pic.twitter.com/kM3e9S125s
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) October 8, 2023
Israeli actress Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman, Evil Queen in Disney’s Snow White) shared several posts, including one that reads, “I stand with Israel. You should too. The world cannot sit on the fence when these horrific acts of terror are happening!”
Israeli actress Gal Gadot/Credit: Disney Wiki
Natalie Portman, a Jewish actress known for her roles as Padme Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and Jane Foster in Marvel’s Thor, Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Endgame, the What If…? series, and Thor: Love and Thunder, posted her sentiments online, saying, “My heart is shattered for the people of Israel. Children, women, and the elderly have been murdered and abducted from their own homes. I am in horror at these barbaric acts, and my heart is pounding with love and prayer for the families of all affected.”
Natalie Portman/Credit: Disney/Lucasfilm
Frozen and Frozen 2 voice actor Josh Gad, who is also Jewish and comes from a family of Holocaust survivors, said, “I have no words. I am praying for my many family members in Israel. What a cowardly act. What we are witnessing in real-time right now is unprecedented since the Yom Kippur war. My heart breaks for the families of those who have lost loved ones and for the hostages who have been taken. What a horrific day.”
Credit: D23/Walt Disney Animation/Canva
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, known for his roles in Disney’s The Game Plan, Tooth Fairy, Moana, Jungle Cruise, and more, took to Instagram to condemn the brutal attacks carried out by Hamas and to stand in solidarity with the people of Israel.
“I’m heartbroken, angry, and sickened by the brutal murders and kidnapping of Jewish people through the horrific acts of the Hamas terrorist group,” Johnson said. “The growing loss of innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives is heart-wrenching as this war escalates to immense proportions . . . I pray for compassion and resolve.
Credit: Disney/Instagram/The Rock/Canva
As the situation in Israel and Gaza continues to escalate, our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by these senseless, barbaric attacks.
