Since the Gaza war began, plenty of Hollywood celebrities have weighed in, both in support and against Israel. But now, for the first time since the onset of Operation Protective Edge, a group of superstars has come together to support Israel and especially to condemn Hamas. No fewer than 183 celebrities, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Mayim Bialik, Minnie Driver, Kelsey Grammer, Seth Rogen, Rosanne Barr and Sarah Silverman have signed a letter expressing their regret for the "devastating loss of life endured by Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza." The Hollywood stars are also speaking up against the "ideologies of hatred and genocide which are reflected in Hamas' charter, Article 7 of which reads, 'There is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!'" The letter, slated to be published Sunday as an ad in leading American entertainment industry magazines like Billboard, Variety, and the Hollywood Reporter, also says that "Hamas cannot be allowed to rain rockets on Israeli cities, nor can it be allowed to hold its own people hostage. Hospitals are for healing, not for hiding weapons. Schools are for learning, not for launching missiles. Children are our hope, not our human shields." The stars wrapped up their heartfelt missive with a plea for reconciliation: "We join together in support of the democratic values we all cherish and in the hope that the healing and transformative power of the arts can be used to build bridges of peace." The petition, which was initiated by the Creative Community for Peace -- an organization devoted to fighting economic and artistic boycotts of Israel, comes after weeks of controversy in which a number of stars expressed harsh anti-Israel sentiments. Actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, for example, accused Israel of "genocide," and singers Rihanna and Selena Gomez also tweeted support for the Palestinians. Cruz and Bardem later clarified their position, and Rihanna deleted her tweet.
Hollywood celebrities issue letter condemning Hamas
After a number of stars tweet pro-Palestinian statements, nearly 200 entertainers and industry people decry Hamas' ideology of "hate and genocide," declare that Hamas cannot be allowed to fire rockets at Israel or hold its own people hostage.
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