Actor Mark Ruffalo apologizes for posts about Israel-Hamas fighting, stirs backlash
Other celebrities have also faced similar criticism for being vocal about where they stand on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Actor Mark Ruffalo's apology for a social media post in which he said Israel was "committing genocide" is garnering praise & backlash amid recent battles with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip - the delicate & horrifying nature of the long-standing conflict Pierce the veil.
Rafalo, an outspoken Emmy Award winner & Oscar-nominated actor, tweeted on Monday that he "wanted to apologize & apologize for the posts during the recent Israel / Hamas fight, suggesting that Israel 'massacre' Is doing "& that" it is not accurate, it is inflammatory, abusive & is being used to justify anti-Semitism here and abroad. "
I have reflected & wanted to apologize for posts during the recent Israel/Hamas fighting that suggested Israel is committing “genocide”. It’s not accurate, it’s inflammatory, disrespectful & is being used to justify antisemitism here & abroad. Now is the time to avoid hyperbole.
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) May 25, 2021
The fighting lasted for about 2 weeks this month, with hundreds of people dead, with majority Palestinians & parts of the impoverished Gaza Strip turning into rubble. A bilateral ceasefire agreement between Israel & the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas was reached on Friday, but the conflict sparked massive pro-Israel & pro-Palestinian demonstrations around the world.
In the United States, the protests have attracted various groups of people, & pro-Palestine activists have demanded that the US end its funding of the Israeli military, stating that the Biden administration has "war crimes in the region" "Is embroiled in, & calling for an end to the occupation of the Palestinian territories.
Meanwhile, American Jewish organizations have reported a wave of anti-Jewish incidents & apparent hate crime attacks, including synagogues in suburban Chicago and Tucson, Arizona. Jewish people were also physically assaulted & harassed on the streets of Los Angeles, New York & South Florida, on Monday, with President Joe Biden condemning "disgusting behavior". Mosques have also reported anti-Muslim vandalism this month, with a worship house in Brooklyn spray-painted with the phrase "Death to Palestine".
It is unclear what posts Rafalo was apologizing for, but he suggested in a May 11 tweet that Israel's action was tantamount to apartheid in South Africa & sanctions could similarly work against Israel.
1500 Palestinians face expulsion in #Jerusalem. 200 protesters have been injured. 9 children have been killed. Sanctions on South Africa helped free its black people - it’s time for sanctions on Israel to free Palestinians. Join the call. #SheikhJarrah https://t.co/f9R6LYljez
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) May 11, 2021
He wrote, "1500 Palestinians face expulsion in Jerusalem. 200 protesters have been injured. 9 children have been killed."
While some Twitter users are thanking Rafallo, who previously told The Hollywood Reporter that he grew up in a Roman Catholic Italian family, to try to minimize rhetoric around a sensitive subject, others questioned Whether they are "being bullied in silence" & "retreating."
Many celebrities have faced similar criticism in recent times for being vocal about their position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Over the weekend, English singer Dua Lipa tweeted in response to an organization that paid for a full-page ad in The New York Times, stating public support for Palestinians as anti-Jewish. She wrote that the advertisement "shamelessly" used her name to "carry on her ugly campaign with lies and blatant misrepresentation."
"I stand in solidarity with all the oppressed and reject all forms of racism," he said.
— DUA LIPA (@DUALIPA) May 22, 2021