Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
An actor and a showrunner on the politics of speaking out about Israel and Palestine in Hollywood.
I can understand and empathize with his POV.
And the conversation erupted into me being called a Nazi.
I was like,Oh, fuck!
People are thinking this is antisemitism and not anticolonialism.
I do feel theres pressure on me as a MENA actor in Hollywood.
Im selective about how I post online.
And immediately, the Middle Eastern community, which is not a monolith, jumped on me.
Like, What about Palestinians?
I see your true colors.
Those put a target on your back.
I also dont use the wordunprovoked.A lot of people say October 7 was unprovoked.
Well, its a massive chicken-and-egg situation, this back-and-forth.
Also, I didnt know the wordcease-firewould be such a problem!
I would hope we dont want wars!
Conversations about this in Hollywood are always backdoor.
Thats going to be the end of their career.
Its all happening secretively, in whispers, because everyones afraid.
I lost a lot of followers for posting in solidarity with Palestine.
Three different friends, other Middle Eastern people, told me, Be careful of what you say.
We still need you.
At first, I told everyone to relax, but there is a fear there.
I dont think that theres a literal blacklist, like an image out of Old Hollywood.
But I imagine I have already lost opportunities from being vocal.
My agents are probably nervous about me speaking out about Palestine.
A Jewish Showrunner
I find it hard to articulate a singular conversation in Hollywood right now.
How are you feeling?
The picket lines would have been a natural place to process all of this.
But the writers strike ended right before the attacks happened.
Online discourse happened so quickly.
The equivocating was instantaneous.
And it turns out no such agreement was in place.
I used to post on Instagram a lot.
Its the only social media I use.
And then I was like,I have an Instagram problem.
Im looking at this too much, and nobody cares what I think.So my posting became sporadic.
Although some of the things theyre saying are upsetting to me, theyre also landing and making me think.
They made me go,Do I have this fucking wrong?
Or is this antisemitic?I was in a broad state of confusion.
This is not part of some broad political movement.
We need to put faces and identities to these people who have been separated from their families.
Put it on your Instagram with these hashtags.
Would you do that?
I was just like, Yes.
I felt like Id be a coward if I didnt.
I also felt like all Im saying is this person lost their freedom and should be released.
Im not making any suggestions as to what the conditions of their release should be.
But anything that gets these people back cant be a bad thing.
Hes the same exact guy that he was when he woke up the morning of October 6.
That was not a guy who we wanted to be making unilateral decisions about the cost of human life.
I didnt read their silence as not supporting Jews.
The intention behind these letters is Secure all the heavyweights.
My parents told me, Never sign a letter you didnt write.
You have to stand by it.
But if you dont sign it, then its like, So you dont support the cease-fire?
I dont work for the State Department.
You think Benjamin Netanyahu is going to see the cease-fire letter and go, Holy shit!
I just got this letter from Hollywood!
Its more about covering your own ass or getting attention if you have something to say.
Thank you for subscribing and supporting our journalism.
