Steven Spielberg fears repeat of history, says, 'We may again have to fight for right to be Jewish'

At the 30th anniversary of the foundation of the USC Shoah Foundation, filmmaker Steven Spielberg denounced the global upsurge of antisemitism and spoke about Israel’s military action in Gaza.

“Those who can not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. I am increasingly alarmed that we may be condemned to repeat history – to once again have to fight for the very right to be Jewish,” said the filmmaker as per Deadline.

He added, “The echoes of history are unmistakable in our current climate. The rise of extremist views has created a dangerous environment, and radical intolerance leads a society to no longer celebrate differences but instead conspire to demonise those who are different to the point of creating ‘the Other’… This is happening alongside anti-Muslim, Arab, and Sikh discrimination. The creation of ‘the Other’ and the dehumanisation of any group based on their differences, is the foundation of fascism.”

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Addressing the conflict in Gaza for the first time, he said, “We can rage against the heinous acts committed by the terrorists of October 7th and also decry the killing of innocent women and children in Gaza.”

In December, he was quoted in a Shoah Foundation statement about the 7 October massacre by Hamas – which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths, mass rapes and the taking of around 253 hostages. He said, “I never imagined I would see such unspeakable barbarity against Jews in my lifetime.”

Spielberg on the mainstreaming of contemporary antisemitism https://t.co/cRU7CB0cUm @colbertlateshow

— USC Shoah Foundation (@USCShoahFdn) March 3, 2023

For the unversed, The USC Shoah Foundation has archived more than 56,000 testimonies of survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust and other historical events of genocide and crimes against humanity. It was founded by Steven Spielberg after his Oscar-winning movie, Schindler’s List, which featured Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall, and Jonathan Sagall among others in prominent roles.