Steven Spielberg is the latest Hollywood celebrity who has spoken out about the ongoing armed conflict between Palestine group terror Hamas and Israel, noting that he never expected to see such “unspeakable barbarity” against the Jewish community in his lifetime.
The prolific filmmaker is part of a campaign launched by the University of South California’s Shoah Foundation, which seeks to record the testimonies of individuals who found themselves being victims of the terror attacks perpetrated by Hamas on October 7th.
Spielberg declared, “[Executive Director Chair of the USC Shoah Foundation] Rob Williams and the team at the USC Shoah Foundation are leading an effort that will ensure that the voices of survivors will act as a powerful tool to counter the dangerous rise of antisemitism and hate.”
“I never imagined I would see such unspeakable barbarity against Jews in my lifetime,” lamented the filmmaker. “Holocaust survivors are the most courageous and brave among us, and their accounts are a lasting testament to the resilience of the human spirit.”
The Schindler’s List director went on to add, “Both initiatives — recording interviews with survivors of the October 7 attacks and the ongoing collection of Holocaust testimony — seek to fulfill our promise to survivors: that their stories would be recorded and shared in the effort to preserve history and to work toward a world without antisemitism or hate of any kind. We must remain united and steadfast in these efforts.”
Founded in 1994 by Spielberg himself, this new campaign is very much in line with the USC Shoah Foundation’s mission, which seeks to “give opportunity to survivors and witnesses to the Shoah—the genocide of the Jews—to tell their own stories in their own words in audio-visual interviews, preserve their testimonies, and make them accessible for research, education, and outreach for the betterment of humankind in perpetuity.”
Spielberg isn’t the only Hollywood celebrity condemning the atrocities committed by Hamas. Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot has also been actively bringing to light the questionable actions carried out by the Palestinian terror group.
The Israel-born actress also helped organise a private Hollywood screening of raw footage provided by the Israel Defense Forces, in an effort to raise awareness about the hardships Israel citizens endured during the surprise Hamas invasion on October 7th.
Most recently, Gadot took to social media to call out the international community for turning a blind eye to the barbaric crimes committed by Hamas against women, including rape and sexual mutilation.
“The world has failed the women of October 7th,” lamented the Heart of Stone actress. “We claim we stand against rape, violence against women. We will not let women be victimized and then silenced. We say we believe women, stand with women, speak out for women.”
“On October 7th, the world witnessed Hamas carrying out its violent plans in real time,” Gadot condemned. “Within hours of the October 7th attack, the first blood-chilling video emerged of Shani Louk being paraded naked and defiled by her proud assailants.”
She then pointed out, “Yet two months later women are still hostage to these rapists and the world has failed to call this situation what it is: an urgent emergency that demands a decisive response.”
“This is our moment as women and allies of women to act. I am beseeching all those who have done so much for women’s rights globally – from the [United Nations] to the human rights community to please join in the demand that Hamas release every single woman hostage immediately — not after the next round of international mediation. Not after another day,” Gadot implored before concluding, “These women cannot survive another moment of this horror.”