Noah Schnapp has condemned those who responded to his recent Instagram Story with “justification and celebration” of Hamas’s “senseless attack” against Israeli civilians.
In a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday 7 October, Palestinian terrorist organisation Hamas launched thousands of rockets and stormed through the Gaza border in an unprecedented assault.
The shock incursion has triggered an Israel-Hamas war, and has already left 1,200 Israelis dead – the worst loss of Israeli lives in years – and killed 1,100 Palestinians so far.
On Wednesday (11 October), the Stranger Things star, 19, reposted a “beautiful picture of a young innocent girl whose life was taken by Hamas at a music festival”.
“I was met with comments reading ‘no one cares free Palestine [Palestinian flag emoji]’ and ‘She deserves that, and every Israeli terrorist deserves that [laughing face emoji] – Free Palestine’,” Schnapp, who is Jewish American, wrote in a lengthy follow-up post.
“I am outraged by the justification and celebration of the death of a young girls life. Have people lost their minds??? STOP!”
He continued: “This is one example of many posts, rallies, and petitions being signed attempting to justify the brutality against these innocent Israeli people.
Noah Schnapp Instagram Story— (Noah Schnapp Instagram Story)
“You don’t have to be Jewish, you don’t have to be Israel [sic], you just have to have empathy and common sense to know that THIS is wrong.”
Schnapp then further called out the “silence on social media”. “The same people who love to jump on fashionable causes like supporting Ukraine and combating climate change have been chillingly quiet.”
“The Jewish people are seeing your silence and we won’t forget it,” he added. “You either stand with Israel or you stand with terrorism. It shouldn’t be a difficult choice. Shame on you.”
For the last 50 years, Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, including East Jersusalem and Gaza, has “resulted in systematic human rights violations against Palestinians living there”, Amnesty International documented.
The Tutor actor joins other celebrities, including Madonna and Natalie Portman, who have reacted to the deadly conflict.
During a recent show as part of their Las Vegas residency at the Sphere arena, Irish rock band U2 changed the lyrics of their hit song “Pride (In the Name of Love)” to honour the hundreds of victims who lost their lives in the horrific Israeli music festival attack led by Hamas at the weekend.
According to the latest update from Rescue agency Zaka, more than 260 bodies have been recovered from the Supernova music festival site, though more are expected to be found.
For real-time updates on the Israel-Hamas war, follow The Independent’s liveblog here.
