Celebrities take sides in the war between Hamas & Israel

Onassis De Freitas provides context for the conflict in the Middle East and what celebrities are saying about it.

Image Credit: TBS

The longest ongoing dispute is between Israel and Palestine. The two countries have been at odds since May 14, 1948. However, recently, due to a violent advance by Hamas, the media's attention has turned back to this feud. Certain celebrities are using their voice and platforms to vocalize which side they support. 

An essential part of this conflict has its roots in the war between Israel and Egypt in 1973. Then, Israel had taken over Sinai in a recent skirmish in 1967. The Egyptian president, Anwar El Sadat, fought back against Israel and unfortunately, was not able to get back the land. However, in a peace agreement shortly after Israel suceeded the land back to Egypt.

In 2023, Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Israel then retaliated leading to the conflict that is still ongoing today. This is a result of Israel occupying the land which once belonged to Palestinians. Israel believes that they are the rightful landowners while Palestinians are fighting back, saying that that’s their land, citing both holy books, the Quran and torah. Hamas is a terroist organization which acted on these beliefs, leading to the full escalation into a deadly conflict. Palestinians are now in an era where thousands of young Palestinian Muslims and Christians are being killed. President Biden has reported in recent news that he has been providing aid and weaponry to Israel, while Iran and Egypt have been sending aid to Palestine.

Celebrities such as Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, Justin Bieber, and LeBron James, among others have shown support for Isreal and the hostages taken in the attack. Meanwhile, Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid, Zayn Malik, Selena Gomez, CR7, and ishowspeed, have all spoken out for the palestinian people. On the contrary, some celebrities support neither side and remain unbiased. Some celebrities have taken to social media to express their thoughts on the subject, asking questions on the topic, or sharing why they've sided with one country over the over. Ultimately, celebrities are using their large platforms to spread the word about this important moment in history.