Pro-Palestinian social media users are hitting out at celebrities Gal Gadot, Amy Schumer and Noah Schnapp. The stars—who were all raised Jewish and are vocal supporters of Israel—have yet to comment on the release of over 100 hostages taken by Hamas, leading some people online to question their “silence.”
On October 7, Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then vowed to “demolish Hamas,” and cut off supplies of food, energy, fuel and medicine into Gaza, before launching a ground offensive into the territory amid a heavy campaign of airstrikes. About 15,000 Gazans have been killed as of December 1, many more have been injured, and about 1.7 million people have been displaced, according to the latest reports.
After news of the attacks broke, many celebrities spoke out on behalf of the hostages taken by Hamas, who included citizens of Israel and foreign nationals. More than 100 hostages were released in the past few days in return for prisoners and humanitarian aid amid a temporary ceasefire that has since expired.
Celebrities favoring either side, and even those who have stayed silent, have faced heavy criticism on social media. Israeli actress Gadot, comedian Schumer and Stranger Things star Schnapp have become the subject of controversy due to their remarks surrounding the conflict.
As the stars loudly declared their support for Israel, regularly sharing their thoughts on social media, some pro-Palestinian users wondered why they had yet to comment on the release of the hostages so far.
“The way Gal Gadot, Amy Schumer, and Noah Schnapp are have been extremely silent upon the hostages release is very telling,” said maya on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. “This is never about the hostages, and it shows.”
Toast agreed, writing: “Why y’all so quiet. Y’all had a lot to say then, why y’all so silent now.”
“Where y’all at,” asked user Lola, commenting the celebs in her post.
In a video shared to TikTok, user @mirna__abu accused Israel of having “lost the propaganda game.”
“Where is Amy Schumer, Gal Gadot and Noah Schnapp?” she said in the clip that has been viewed more than 444,000 times. “Why aren’t they talking about the released hostages?
“Why aren’t they talking about the letter that literally broke the internet? What about the ‘Bye Maya,’ ‘Bye Shukran’.”
She continued: “Why aren’t they talking about why the hostages refuse to talk to [Benjamin] Netanyahu? Or why they are not allowed to talk to the press?”
The Hostage Letter to Hamas
The letter Abu is referring to was reportedly written by Israeli mother Danielle Aloni, who was taken hostage by Hamas, along with her five-year-old daughter Emilia, her sister Sharon, and Sharon’s three-year-old twin daughters. The note praises the Palestinian militant group for their “extraordinary humanity,” and was published by the Hamas-affiliated Shehab News Agency. However, Aloni’s cousin, Liam Adam, refuted the claims in the letter.
“Hamas just published more propaganda of my family,” he wrote on Instagram on Monday. “Unfortunately, I know many out there will try to use this in Hamas’ defense, don’t believe them.”
Still, the letter went viral. Some social media users praised Hamas, while others called the letter “sick” and “coercion.”
‘Bye Maya, Bye Shukran’
The “Bye Maya, Bye Shukran” moment Abu mentions is from a viral video that claims to show an Israeli hostage looking lovingly at a Hamas fighter. The clip was supposedly released by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades—Hamas’ military wing—and shows 21-year-old Maya Regev on crutches after being shot in the leg.
Reportedly filmed during the release of 17 other hostages on Saturday, a masked Hamas member says “Bye Maya” as Regev is handed over, with Regev replying “Bye, Shukran” (thanks in Arabic). Her 18-year-old brother, Itay Regev, was released on Wednesday.
Like Aloni’s letter, pro-Hamas social media users have been applauding the group while sharing the clip.
“Years of Israeli propaganda destroyed with a smile,” wrote X user Lujain, while McJumama said: “Netanyahu and his genocidal gang are FUMING.”
What Have Gal Gadot, Amy Schumer and Noah Schnapp Said About the Hamas Hostages?
Israeli actress Gadot has been posting consistently in support of the hostages. The 38-year-old was born in Rosh Ha’eyeing and served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a fitness instructor as part of the country’s two-year mandatory service.
In November, Gadot received backlash for allegedly helping to organize a screening of Bearing Witness. Shared by the IDF, the 47-minute film shows footage of Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. The Wonder Woman star faced cancelation calls as a result, with a brawl reported outside a screening at the Museum of Tolerance on Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles.
Schumer has been facing cancelation calls due to her comments on the war. Raised Jewish, the 42-year-old comedy star came under fire for sharing a meme that compared Gazans to rapists and for claiming “Jewish people are the only group not allowed to defend themselves” on social media.
Her remarks led to a very public spat about race and discrimination with Black Filipina actress Asia Jackson, but many celebrities have also come out in support of Schumer.
Former child star Noah Schnapp has also sparked outrage online with his posts about the Israel-Hamas conflict. The 19-year-old—best known for starring as Will Byers in Netflix’s sci-fi hit Stranger Things—was slammed for his statement about the Hamas attacks, in which he declared: “You either stand with Israel or you stand with terrorism.”
He faced further backlash after sharing a video that featured a sticker that read “Zionism is 𝑠e𝑥y,” with some fans threatening to boycott the next season of Stranger Things unless he’s fired.
The most likely reason that Gadot, Schumer and Schnapp have yet to comment on the release of the hostages by Hamas is that their aim is gradually being reached, with over 100 of the 240 captives having been freed so far.
Some 78 Israeli citizens were released as part of a four-day ceasefire that took place between November 24 and November 27, while 27 hostages of other nationalities were freed via seperate deals with Hamas. Five hostages were let go prior to the ceasefire, including two Americans, while two have been confirmed dead.
Another reason for Gadot, Schumer and Schnapp’s silence on the matter could be that their goal is yet to be achieved, with roughly 137 people still in captivity. However, Newsweek has reached out to the stars for comment via email.
