“They should advocate for peace and not side with anyone”: Celebrities’ open letter to release Hamas hostages spark mixed reactions online

After Hamas, a Sunni Islamist political and military organization, launched attacks on central and southern Israel on October 7, 2023, several celebrities banded together to help bring back the hostages taken by the group.

As per the Hollywood reporter, the celebrities wrote an open letter to US President Joe Biden, calling on Hamas to set all hostages free. Celebrities like Gal Gadot, Amy Schumer, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Bradley Cooper, Madonna, Courteney Cox, Chris Rock, and more initiated a #NoHostageLeftBehind campaign.

“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,” the open letter read.

Some netizens were outraged when the celebrities only took Israel’s side instead of trying to educate themselves about both.

Fan's reaction to the open letter. (Images via X/@PopBase)

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Hollywood stars write an open letter to President Joe Biden to catapult Hamas' return of the hostages

Hamas had kidnapped at least 220 people, killing more than 1,400 people with rockets. In retaliation, the Israeli Government made a barrage of airstrikes that have decimated the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 350,000 residents displaced, as per CBS.

Israel also declared a "complete siege" over Gaza. Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced on October 9, 2023:

"I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel; everything is closed."

Two Israeli hostages, Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Cooper, 79, were freed by Hamas on Monday, October 23, 2023. The announcement of their release comes three days after two Americans, Judith Raanan and her teenage daughter, Natalie, who had been kept by the militant organization in the Gaza Strip, were set free.

Celebrities like Bob Odenkirk, Debra Messing, Constance Wu, Justin Timberlake, Tyler Perry, Will Ferrell, Billy Crystal, Tiffany Haddish, Aubrey Plaza, Zack Snyder, and Shawn Levy signed an open letter to United States President Joe Biden to get more hostages out of the terror organization's captivity.

"We are heartened by Friday’s release of the two American hostages, Judith Ranaan and her daughter Natalie Ranaan and by today’s release of two Israelis, Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, whose husbands remain in captivity," the letter read.

The letter further mentioned the estimated number of hostages taken by the terrorist organization.

"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," the letter read.

Corporate players and producers like Amy Pascal, Brian Grazer, David Geffen, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz, Judd Apatow, Jessica Elbaum, Greg Berlanti, and David Ellison also signed the letter.

The open letter thanked Biden for his moral conviction and support for Jewish and Palestinian people.

"Thank you for your unshakable moral conviction, leadership, and support for the Jewish people, who have been terrorized by Hamas since the group’s founding over 35 years ago, and for the Palestinians, who have also been terrorized, oppressed, and victimized by Hamas for the last 17 years that the group has been governing Gaza."

Meanwhile, Gal Gadot and Amy Schumer are actively participating in the conversation of the Israel-Palestinian war with multiple posts on their social media accounts. The internet had mixed reactions to the open letter. Some of the responses are given below:

On October 23, 2023, a senior diplomat told the Times of Israel that their Government and Hamas are in advanced negotiations through Egypt and Qatar for the release of 50 more hostages who were taken against their will in Gaza during the October 7 attack.