Noah Schnapp, the American actor known for his role as Will Byers in Stranger Things, is under fire after a video surfaced on X of him sitting at a cafe. At the same time, his acquaintances showed off political slogans, which read, "Hamas is ISIS" and "Zionism is Sexy."
The footage has received a lot of negative attention, especially since the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict and Schnapp's strong stand with Israel. There has been a heated debate across social media platforms, and fans have expressed their disappointment and concern about these sensitive political statements.
Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of violence and war crimes.
Netizens are criticizing the actor's participation in the discourse surrounding the conflict as more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and Israel has a death toll of 1,200 ever since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
Noah Schnapp's new video with "Zionism is Sexy" and "Hamas is ISIS" stickers spark outrage online
Noah Schnapp has raised a lot of heads from his take on the devastating events of the Palestine-Israel conflict. He had posted about being "afraid" for his "brothers and sisters in Israel." He was also caught liking a post on Instagram where people were playing a skit, mocking Muslim people and the queer community, as per Metro.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas, a militant organization, attacked Israel, invading its borders while killing and kidnapping civilians. They launched thousands of rockets on the Israel land. In retaliation, the Israeli government cut off electricity, water, and fuel and launched an airstrike that is still ongoing, as per The New York Times.
More recently, a video leaked online on November 13, 2023, showing the 19-year-old actor smiling at a cafe. Noah Schnapp was seen filming a group of friends on his phone while they laughed and showed off stickers with "Zionism is sexy" and "Hamas is ISIS" written on them. The video has since gone viral, and people on the internet are having heated debates over his actions, as per Latest LY.
Some netizens were left outraged and disappointed in Noah Schnapp, while some even wanted the actor removed from the cast of Stranger Things. Some of the reactions are given below.
Noah Schnapp has yet to address the outrage online. Other celebrities have called for a ceasefire in an open letter to the president, and stars also signed another letter to help get the hostages taken from Hamas back to safety, as per AP News.
Noah Schnapp's Instagram post about the conflict
Noah's father, Mitchell Schnapp, is of Russian Jewish descent, while his mother, Karine, has a Moroccan Jewish background. He voiced his opinion on the Hamas-Israel conflict on October 11, 2023, in a lengthy post on Instagram. He began by saying:
"As a Jewish American, I am afraid. Afraid for my brothers and sisters in Israel, who have been senselessly attacked by Hamas. I am truly heartbroken to see the brutal murders of innocent children, women and soldiers fighting to defend themselves."
His post seemed neutral initially; however, his comments about people who do not support Israel displeased many netizens. A comment read:
"I hope we can agree that Hamas are a recognised terrorist organisation; they don’t represent the Palestinian people when they value murdering Israelis more than protecting their own. You either stand with Israel or you stand with terrorism. It shouldn’t be a difficult choice. Shame on you."
Other actors, including Amy Schumer and Gal Gadot have also supported Israel with each being outspoken about the conflict on their social media.