US actress Susan Sarandon has publicly apologized for her heavily criticized statements about the war between Hamas and Israel. The Oscar winner posted a longer statement on her Instagram account. Sarandon writes that she recently took part in a rally with a group of activists to highlight the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza and call for a ceasefire. But it was not planned for her to give a speech there. She was spontaneously persuaded to do so.
“In order to express my concern about the rise in hate crimes, I said that Jewish Americans, who are the targets of increasing anti-Semitic hatred, are ‘getting a taste of what it is like to be Muslim in this country.’ are so often exposed to violence,'” Sarandon explains. She said this formulation was a “terrible mistake” because her choice of words implied that Jews had so far been spared from persecution: “The opposite is the case. As we all know, Jews have been subjected to centuries of oppression and genocide in Europe […] .] familiar with discrimination and religious violence that continue to this day.” She deeply regrets that she downplayed reality and hurt people. Sarandon wants to continue to work for “peace, truth, justice and compassion for all people” in the future and hopes that people can meet each other with “love and a willingness to dialogue”.
The 77-year-old attended a pro-Palestinian rally in Union Square in New York City on November 17th. However, it wasn’t just her choice of words in her speech that was massively criticized. As the US media consistently reports, she also joined in with the anti-Semitic slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which questions Israel’s right to exist. Sarandon does not address this accusation in her statement.
Her artist agency, the United Talent Agency, then quickly pulled the ripcord and kicked Sarandon out the door. As the “Los Angeles Times” reported, the UTA did not want to comment on the exact reasons. Sarandon also uses her Twitter account for her agenda. There she shared, among other things, a performance by former “Pink Floyd” musician Roger Waters, as he sings in front of huge screens that show, among other things, “Stop the Genocide.” Waters has been criticized for anti-Semitic statements and actions for years. Among other things, the Berlin police investigated after a concert at which he appeared in a leather coat with a red armband. The parallels to the SS uniform gave rise to initial suspicion of incitement, said a police spokesman.
