Noah Schnapp Posts TikTok Addressing “Misconstrued” Beliefs About Israel-Gaza Conflict
Written by laserteam on January 16, 2024
(Hollywood Reporter) – Noah Schnapp is addressing online criticism to social media that surfaced in relation to the Israel-Gaza conflict, stating that he stands “against any killing of any innocent people” and has had “learned a lot” from “open discussions with friends from Palestinian background.”
The Stranger Things actor shared his statement in a TikTok posted Monday night, with Schnapp’s comments following online calls to boycott the final season of the Netflix hit — which started production just a week ago — over the content of social posts in the months since the ongoing conflict began.
“I feel like my thoughts and beliefs have been so far misconstrued from anything even close to what I believe, and I wanted to just state from my heart how I feel,” the actor said. “I only want peace and safety and security for all innocent people affected by this conflict.”
“I think anyone with any ounce of humanity would hope for an end to the hostility on both sides. I stand against any killing of any innocent people, and I hope you guys all do, too,” the actor said at another point in the nearly two-minute video. “And I just hope to one day see those two groups be able to live harmoniously together in that region.”
Criticism of Schapp grew in November, after a video featuring the actor alongside others smiling and showing off “Hamas is Isis” and “Zionism is sexy” stickers made the rounds on various platforms, including X.
That same month, online social media users allege he liked an Instagram video clip from the Israel TV show What a Wonderful Country, attempting to satirize the antisemitism and Islamophobia allegations that have swept across higher education, resulting in federal investigations at school’s like Columbia University.
During the TikTok, Schnapp noted that since the Oct. 7 attack in Israel by militant group Hamas, he’s “had many open discussions with friends from Palestinian background, and I think those are very important conversations to have, and I’ve learned a lot.”
“One of the takeaways I’ve had is that we all hope for the same things, that being those innocent people still being held hostage in Gaza to be returned to their families, and equally hope for an end to the loss of innocent life in Palestine — so many of those people being women and children, and it’s horrible to see.”
