Comedian Amy Schumer has reposted a furious cri de coeur questioning the motives of those who call for a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas but not the release of Jewish hostages.
The statement on Instagram, reposted on Sunday by the American Jewish stand-up, says: “If you scream ‘genocide’ but were silent about the massacre on October 7, you might hate Jews.
“If you call for a ceasefire but not the release of hostages, you might hate Jews.
“If you spoke out against Israel’s tragic bombing of the hospital in Gaza, but made no correction once you learned it was actually done by Islamic Jihad, you might hate Jews.”
Elsewhere, British comedian Steve Coogan belatedly condemned Hamas's "terrorist attacks on Israel" - after signing an open letter that made no direct mention of Hamas or the atrocities committed by the terror group earlier this month.
Coogan said it "goes without saying that what Hamas did is evil beyond imagination - it was horrific and brutal".
However, he said it was "no way inconsistent" to "express grave concern for the lives and welfare of innocent Palestinian civilians" at the same time.
The letter, issued by Artists For Palestine UK, was also signed by Tilda Swinton, Charles Dance, Miriam Margolyes and Maxine Peak, among more than 2,000 others, demanded that governments "end their military and political support for Israel's actions".
It also spoke of governments "not only tolerating war crimes but aiding and abetting them" and called for “an immediate ceasefire”.
The letter did not mention Hamas but did condemn "every act of violence against civilians and every infringement of international law, whoever perpetrates them".
