Jason Isaacs: I’ve been called a ‘Zionist baby killer’ for wearing a hostage pin
Actor says wearing symbol of Israelis held by Hamas has brought abuse – but it’s a duty he won’t abandon
Actor Jason Isaacs has said he was called a “Zionist baby killer” and “Zionazi” after publicly wearing a yellow ribbon pin to highlight the plight of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
The Harry Potter and White Lotus star, who is Jewish, told New York Magazine that he now wears the symbol at every red-carpet event and media appearance – despite backlash – because “it matters” to the families of the Israelis being held captive by Hamas.
“I wear the hostage pin because there are innocent people who were taken from their homes,” Isaacs said. “Most of them were peace activists helping people in Gaza – ferrying sick kids to hospitals.”
He added: “There are Holocaust survivors, children, people being tortured, starved and raped. They’ve had no access to the Red Cross. It’s been 600 days. And they’ve been forgotten entirely.”
Isaacs said that after he first wore the pin, a hostage’s family reached out to thank him – an exchange that shifted his sense of responsibility.
“I now am aware that they are watching me and that it matters to them,” he said. “If my son or sister or daughter or father was being kept in a tunnel somewhere and weighed 25 kilos now or may have been strangled or shot… then who am I to not wear it?”
But he acknowledged that public figures are under intense pressure, and said he understood why many in the industry choose to stay silent.
“Just for wearing it, I’ve been called a ‘Zionist baby killer’, a’ Zionazi’,” he said. “Even a yellow hostage pin for innocents is deemed political – which it isn’t.”
Isaacs drew a sharp distinction between hostage advocacy and the wider political conflict, saying it’s not an issue that can be reduced to a quote or slogan.
“Where I am is either a full magazine or no comment,” he explained. “Two or three sentences in a profile aren’t enough to deal with the issues… I don’t know anybody – apart from extremists on all sides – who want either continued war or tension. What I wish for is peace.”
Isaacs is among the few internationally known actors to consistently speak out in support of Israeli hostages since the 7 October Hamas attacks, which led to an ongoing conflict in Gaza and rising global tensions.
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