Following widely-circulated pro-Palestinian statements during the conflict in Gaza by Spanish actors Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, close to 200 high-profile Hollywood figures have signed a statement criticizing the actions of Hamas.
These figures include studio heads, directors, producers, actors and managers/ Among them Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The statement was initiated by the Creative Community for Peace which was initially started by David Renzer, former chairman of Universal music publishing who is now head of Spirit Music Group (a music publishing company).
This organization aims to bring together "prominent members of the entertainment industry to counter the cultural boycott against Israel and promote an accurate image of the Jewish state."
The Creative Community states that they are a comprised of individuals across the entertainment industry who “may not all share the same politics or the same opinion on the best path to peace in the Middle East. But we do agree that singling out Israel, the only democracy in the region, as a target of cultural boycotts while ignoring the now-recognized human rights issues of her neighbors will not further peace.”
The statement reads : ‘’We, the undersigned, are saddened by the devastating loss of life endured by Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza. We are pained by the suffering on both sides of the conflict and hope for a solution that brings peace to the region.’’
‘’While we stand firm in our commitment to peace and justice, we must also stand firm against ideologies of hatred and genocide which are reflected in Hamas' charter, Article 7 of which reads, “There is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!” The son of a Hamas founder has also commented about the true nature of Hamas.
‘’Hamas cannot be allowed to rain rockets on Israeli cities, nor can it be allowed to hold its own people hostage. Hospitals are for healing, not for hiding weapons. Schools are for learning, not for launching missiles. Children are our hope, not our human shields.’’
‘’We join together in support of the democratic values we all cherish and in the hope that the healing and transformative power of the arts can be used to build bridges of peace.’’