Vantage | Why celebs taking sides in the Hamas-Israel war matters

Celebrities are now talking about the war; I guess Gen Z will now take notice. Footballers, actors, models, singers—everyone has something to say. Some of them have gotten pats on the back; others have lost their jobs. It’s that kind of war. The latest to speak out is footballer Mohammed Salah. He’s from Egypt and an Arab himself. In fact, Salah is often called the pride of the Arabs. He plays for Liverpool in England. Salah is asking world leaders to end the attacks on Gaza. Watch:

“All lives are sacred and must be protected. The massacres need to stop. Families are being torn apart. What’s clear now is that humanitarian aid to Gaza must be allowed in immediately. The people there are in terrible conditions. The scenes at the hospital last night were horrifying. The people of Gaza need food, water, and medical supplies urgently. I’m calling on world leaders to come together to prevent the further slaughter of innocent souls. Humanity must prevail,” he said. Salah’s voice is important. He has millions of fans in the world. He is also well-regarded in the region. Plus, his message isn’t controversial. Salah is not blaming anyone for the current situation. He says all lives are sacred. Several celebrities have made similar appeals. After the Hamas attack, 700 Hollywood actors signed a joint statement. They condemned the Hamas. They also demanded the return of hostages. Some big names were part of that list, like Gal Gadot, Jerry Seinfeild, Amy Schumer and Chris Pine. A few also took a more nuanced position, like Madonna and Justin Bieber. Madonna said many innocent Palestinians do not support hamas. Justin Bieber said all Palestinians cannot be villainized. Many celebrities have also supported Palestine, like supermodel Gigi Hadid. She is half-Palestinian herself, she has a history of supporting the Palestinian cause. Her sister, Bella Hadid, also a supermodel, has a more chequered past. She has been accused of anti-semitism by Jewish groups. But this time, she hasn’t said anything, neither about Hamas, nor about Israel. In the UK, more than 2,000 celebrities have signed a joint statement. They have called for a ceasefire in Gaza. They also want the UK government to stop arming Israel. I don’t think rishi sunak is listening though, he landed in israel today with a plane full of weapons. Also, the statement did not mention the Hamas attack. It’s okay to call for a ceasefire. But how can you not address the incident that led to this escalation? Some British MPs have criticised this letter. One lawmaker called the celebrities a group of misfits and weirdos. In sports, the story is the same, Mohammed Salah’s statement was nuanced, but others were not, multiple players in European leagues have been suspended. The latest is Youcef Atal, he plays for Nice in the French League. Youcef briefly posted a message from a Palestinian preacher. He was asking God to give Jews a dark day. The club later suspended him. Earlier this month, Bayern Munich did the same. They suspended a Moroccan defender for sharing a pro-palestine message. Even the cricket world cup has seen some activism. Last week, Pakistan defeated the Netherlands in a group stage match. Afterwards, Pakistan player Mohammed Rizwan tweeted this:

He dedicated the victory to the people of Gaza. Later that week, India played Pakistan, and when India won, the Israeli ambassador to India had something to say. He said Pakistan could not dedicate another victory to the Hamas terrorists. So there’s a lot going on, every celebrity has something to say, but some of those statements have had consequences Like for former adult actor Mia Khalifa, she cheered the Hamas terror attack. Take a look at her pinned post on social media:

I just wanna make sure there’s 4k footage of my people breaking down the walls of the open air prison they’ve been forced out of their homes and into so we have good options for the history books that write about how how they freed themselves from apartheid. Please worry about… https://t.co/sgx8kzAHnL

— Mia K. (@miakhalifa) October 8, 2023

“I just want to make sure there’s 4k footage of my people breaking down the walls of the open air prison,” tweeted Khalifa. She forgot to mention what happened after those walls were broken: innocent Israelis, including children, were killed. Her employers have taken note. Playboy magazine has decided to take off her podcast. I guess that’s where you draw the line. Supporting civilians is fine; supporting Israel or Palestine is fine; but supporting terrorism is not. And celebrities need to understand that, after all, their voices carry a lot of influence. People are swayed by their opinions and suggestions. So don’t lead people down the wrong path. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_’s views._  Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.