Sharon Osbourne and Debra Messing among 400+ stars condemning anti-Israel lies after deadly DC shooting
Stars and studio execs back unprecedented open letter warning that incitement is fuelling real-world violence
More than 400 entertainment leaders – including actors Mayim Bialik, Debra Messing and Uzo Aduba – have signed a powerful open letter condemning a “toxic mix of distortion, bigotry and incitement” from the anti-Israel movement, warning that celebrity-amplified propaganda fuels deadly antisemitic violence.
The letter, released on Thursday by the non-profit Creative Community For Peace (CCFP), follows the fatal shooting of two young people outside the Washington, D.C., Jewish Museum on 21 May. The attacker reportedly shouted “Free Palestine” during the incident.
“This stream of lies against the Jewish people and the Jewish ancestral homeland has now – unsurprisingly to anyone watching closely – turned deadly in the United States,” said The Big Bang Theory actress Mayim Bialik. “This moment requires public figures to use their platforms responsibly.”
The unprecedented statement – backed by senior industry figures including Haim Saban, Sharon Osbourne, Patricia Heaton and the CEOs of Mattel, Warner Records and FOX Entertainment Global – accuses the anti-Israel campaign of pushing disinformation, justifying Hamas atrocities, and endangering Jews globally.
“We are saying enough,” the letter reads. “Enough with the lies, and enough with the extremism.” It warns that many well-meaning public figures have been “manipulated” into spreading Hamas-aligned narratives, often without realising the damage.
In a joint statement, CCFP chair David Renzer and executive director Ari Ingel said: “For the past 600 days, the anti-Israel movement has espoused an unrelenting stream of extremist rhetoric to demonise Israel and anyone who supports the country… Without a course correction, we will only see more hate, more violence, and more innocent people targeted simply for being Jewish.”
The letter directly links social media-driven incitement to real-world consequences, referencing the D.C. shooting as proof that slogans like “Free Palestine” are being weaponised into calls for violence.
It further accuses the anti-Israel campaign of co-opting progressive movements, defending Hamas’s use of human shields, and spreading libels such as the false claim that Israel sought to kill “14,000 babies in a 48-hour period”.
“These lies should collapse under the weight of their own absurdity,” the letter adds, “yet they are amplified by the media and celebrities with millions of followers.”
The letter ends with a call for unity: ‘We reject all these lies… and call on all our colleagues to reject this extremist rhetoric and the spread of misinformation so that we can all work toward a future in which all Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and dignity.”
A full list of signatories – which also includes Jonathan Shalit OBE, Ben Silverman, Diane Warren and Emmanuelle Chriqui – is available HERE.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
