Noah Schnapp posted an impassioned statement to Instagram in which he called out social media followers for commenting on his account in celebration of Hamas’ attacks against Israel. Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, Oct. 7, in which the militant group fired thousands of rockets, sent dozens of fighters into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip and kidnapped Israeli civilians and soldiers.
“As a Jewish American, I am afraid,” Schnapp wrote on Instagram. “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. I, like others, want peace for both Palestinians and Israelis. Let’s stop the rhetoric and choosing sides. Instead we must recognize that we are all on the side of the fight against terrorism. Choose humanity over violence.”
Schanpp joined the many celebrities who have condemned the violence against Israel, from Natalie Portman to Dwayne Johnson, but he went a step further in directly calling out followers for their pro-violence comments.
“I just reposted a beautiful picture of a young innocent girl whose life was taken by Hamas at a music festival,” Schanpp wrote. “I was met with comments reading ‘no one cares free Palestine’ and ‘She deserves that, and every Israeli terrorist deserves that – Free Palestine.’ I am outraged by the justification and celebration of the death of a young girls life. Have people lost their minds??? STOP!”
“This is one example of many posts, rallies, and petitions being signed attempting to justify the brutality against these innocent Israeli people,” he continued. “You don’t have to be Jewish, you don’t have to be Israeli, you just have to have empathy and common sense to know that THIS is wrong.”
Schnapp also called out the “silence in social media,” noting that many people who used their platforms to speak out in support of Ukraine or climate change have yet to post about Hamas’ attack on Israel.
“I hope we can agree that Hamas are a recognized terrorist organization: they don’t represent the Palestinian people when they value murdering Israelis more than protecting their own,” Schnapp wrote. “You either stand with Israel or you stand with terrorism. It shouldn’t be a difficult choice. Shame on you.”
“While you justify the murders and torture of our loved ones, we will hope and pray for safety, justice, liberation, and self determination in Palestine,” he continued, addressing his pro-violence commenters.
Schnapp is currently waiting to film the fifth and final season of his blockbuster Netflix series “Stranger Things.” While the writers room for the show is back open following the end of the WGA strike, filming can’t start until the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved.
Read Schnapp’s full statement in the Instagram post below.
