Hollywood in support of Emma Watson following Palestinian solidarity post
Last week, celebrated actress Emma Watson was accused of antisemitism after she posted a picture on Instagram, showing a pro-Palestinian protest with the banner "solidarity is a verb" written across it.
The post was strongly criticised by the Israeli officials, including Danny Danon, a former science minister in Benjamin Netanyahu's government and Israeli ambassador to the United Nations. "Ten points from Gryffindor for being an anti-Semite," he wrote.
Celebrities, including the likes of Susan Sarandon and Mark Ruffalo, among others, have come forward supporting "Harry Potter" actress. Prominent artistes like Peter Capaldi and Charles Dance, along with the major figures from the cinema world have issued a statement in support of the actress and Palestinian solidarity.
It was accompanied with a quote about the meaning of solidarity, from the intersectional feminist scholar Sara Ahmed.
A letter was compiled by Artists for Palestine UK, a cultural network, who are standing together for Palestinian rights. More than 40 famous people, including Gael García Bernal, Jim Jarmusch, Maxine Peake, Viggo Mortensen and Steve Coogan, gathered in support of the Emma Watson, as she voiced out for Palestinians, who are struggling for their human rights under international law.
According to a report by Human Rights Watch, Israel is committing apartheid and persecution. The artistes, including Watson's Harry Potter co-stars Miriam Margolyes and Julie Christie, also added-- "We recognise the underlying power imbalance between Israel, the occupying power, and the Palestinians, the people under a system of military occupation and apartheid."
They also voiced out about standing against the ongoing Israeli attempts to forcibly displace Palestinian families from their homes in the East Jerusalem neighbourhoods of Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan and elsewhere in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The artistes also said that they strongly oppose all forms of racism, including antisemitism and Islamophobia. "Opposition to a political system or policy is distinct from bigotry, hatred and discrimination targeting any group of humans based on their identity".
Other signatories include the screenwriter and producer James Schamus and the directors Asif Kapadia, Mira Nair and Ken Loach. Moreover, Loach was expelled from the Labour party over the issue, recently.