Hollywood celebrities from Amy Schumer to Sacha Baron Cohen to Chris Rock signed an open letter demanding that President Joe Biden “not rest” until Hamas releases the hostages it took during its terrorist attack on Israel.
The letter, obtained by Variety, included signatures from Amy Schumer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chris Rock, Gwyneth Paltrow, Katy Perry, Bradley Cooper, Justin Timberlake, and others. Producers like David Geffen, Judd Apatow, and Larry Elison also signed the letter.
“We are heartened by Friday’s release of the two American hostages, Judith Ranaanand her daughter Natalie Ranaan and by today’s release of two Israelis, Nurit Cooperand Yocheved Lifshitz, whose husbands remain in captivity,” it began.
“But our relief is tempered by our overwhelming concern that 220 innocent people, including 30 children, remain captive by terrorists, threatened with torture and death,” it added. “They were taken by Hamas in the savage massacre of October 7, where over 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered — women raped, families burned alive, and infants beheaded.”
The letter further thanked the president for his “moral conviction” in the face of the conflict as well as for his understanding that the Palestinians have been “terrorized, oppressed, and victimized by Hamas for the last 17 years.”
“We all want the same thing: Freedom for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace. Freedom from the brutal violence spread by Hamas. And most urgently, in this moment, freedom for the hostages,” it said.
The letter concluded with a call for Biden and everyone else to “not rest” until Hamas releases the remaining hostages.
We urge everyone to not rest until all hostages are released. No hostage can be left behind. Whether American, Argentinian, Australian, Azerbaijani, Brazilian, British, Canadian, Chilean, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Eritrean, Filipino, French, German, Indian, Israeli, Italian, Kazakh, Mexican, Panamanian, Paraguayan, Peruvian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, South African, Spanish, Sri Lankan, Thai, Ukrainian, Uzbekistani or otherwise, we need to bring them home.
As Breitbart News reported, the letter comes amid frustration from some in the industry after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) refused to outright condemn Hamas.
“The Screen Writers Guild of Israel [SGI] is shocked and appalled by the lack of courage from its fellow American guilds to take a clear stand on the events of October 7,” said the Screenwriters Guild of Israel. “Your silence is loud and clear and is completely contrasted by the loud support demanded from the SGI and their members just a few weeks ago.”
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect a revised number on the death toll from the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel. The Israeli government estimate of 1,400 was revised to around 1,200, according to Reuters.
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.