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Scottish actor and producer Sam Heughan has apologized for his involvement in a letter that condemned Israel for its attacks on Palestine but failed to acknowledge the Hamas attack. It was this attack that started the current conflict between the countries.
The Outlander actor posted a tweet on October 19, 2023, saying:
"I inadvertently signed something that does not reflect my beliefs. I believed it was a simple call for peace. It wasn't."
The letter in question was signed by over 2,000 actors, musicians, and artists. It accused the British Government of "not only tolerating war crimes but aiding and abetting them," as per The New York Post.
Sam Heughan issues an apology for signing a letter condemning Israel for war crimes
Sam Heughan posted a lengthy apology describing his reason for involvement in a controversial letter that has been criticized by netizens. The original letter was written by Artists for Palestine UK, and co-signed by over 2,000 actors including Tilda Swinton, Miriam Margolyes, and Steve Coogan.
In the letter, Sam Heughan and others criticized Israel for "reducing much of Gaza to rubble." It also said that the people involved condemn "every act of violence against civilians and every infringement of international law whoever perpetrates them."
Sam Heughan had signed the letter to stand with the Palestinians suffering in Gaza but failed to acknowledge that the Hamas' initial attack was not mentioned in the passage. Hence, he apologized, saying that he "inadvertently" signed it and it does not "reflect" his beliefs.
Sam Heughan continued that he condemns violence in every form and that he stands against terrorism and evil.
"I am heartbroken and appalled by the recent horrific actions by Hamas. It's haunting to the core, my heart goes out to all affected," he continued.
Sam Heughan admitted that it was his fault for not educating himself more about the subject before taking such an action. He added that he didn't know "nearly enough" and was working on educating himself on the conflicts in the Middle East.
"I feel helpless and wish I could help in some way. I pray for compassion, for all the innocent people affected. Peace and love to you all," the actor went on to say.
Sam Heughan's tweet has since earned about 470 thousand views online. Several people are praising the actor for owning up to his mistake while some are condemning him for retracting.
The controversial letter signed by 2,000 UK artists
The letter signed by over 2,000 artists, was to persuade the nation's and Global Government to get involved in issuing a ceasefire in Gaza. As per the New York Post, the letter said,
"We support the global movement against the destruction of Gaza and the mass displacement of the Palestinian people. We demand that our governments end their military and political support for Israel’s actions. We call for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of Gaza’s crossings to allow humanitarian aid to enter unhindered."
The comprehensive letter extensively described the atrocities done by the Israeli Government involving the Gaza Strip and the "complete siege," as per The New York Times.
One day after the Hamas attack, on October 8, 2023, Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant declared:
"There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly."
The letter pointed out "human animals" in the snippet, saying Palestinians "have become people to whom almost anything can be done."
The signatories' entire plea reportedly failed to point out the initial attack by Hamas, a Sunni Islamist political and military organization. Hamas had launched over a thousand rockets in central and Southern Israel, according to The New York Times. The troops also invaded borders, killing and abducting civilians.
As per CNN, the death toll in Gaza has reached at least 4,079 Palestinians, while more than 1,400 civilians were killed in Israel. The attack on the Gaza Strip is still ongoing.
