‘Stranger Things’ Star Noah Schnapp Addresses Backlash Over His Israel-Hamas Comments
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Noah Schnapp has responded to the online backlash he’s received regarding his opinions on the ongoing Israel-Hamas War, stating that his “thoughts and beliefs have been so far misconstrued.”
The Stranger Things star took to TikTok on Monday night (January 15), where he told his followers, “I just wanted to come on here super briefly to discuss everything that’s been going on online.”
“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,” Schnapp said in the video. “I only want peace and safety and security for all innocent people affected by this conflict.”
The backlash arose shortly after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 when Schnapp posted a statement on his Instagram calling out his followers for celebrating the attack.
@noahschnapp❤️♬ original sound – Noah Schnapp
In the now-deleted post, Scnhapp wrote (per Variety), “As a Jewish American, I am afraid. Afraid for my brothers and sisters in Israel, who have been senselessly attacked by Hamas. I am truly heartbroken to see the brutal murders of innocent children, women, and soldiers fighting to defend themselves.”
He continued, “I, like others, want peace for both Palestinians and Israelis. Let’s stop the rhetoric and choosing sides. Instead we must recognize that we are all on the side of the fight against terrorism. Choose humanity over violence.”
Schnapp’s comments drew backlash after social media users accused him of ‘liking’ a video mocking Palestinian victims in Gaza, in addition to a clip where the actor was seen in a restaurant alongside others who were holding a “Zionism is sexy” sticker.
In his latest TikTok post, the MTV Movie & TV Award winner stated, “I’ve had many open discussions with friends from a Palestine 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,” he added.
Schnapp said, “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. And I just hope to one day see those two groups be able to live harmoniously together in that region,” Schnapp continued.
He concluded with his wishes for 2024 in regards to online behavior, saying he hopes “to see people be a little more understanding and compassionate and recognize that we’re all human, regardless of our race, of our ethnicity, of our background, of our country of birth, of our sexuality, of anything. We are all human and we’re all the same and we should all love each other for that and support each other and stand together. And stand together for humanity and for peace.”
Correction 01/24/24: A previous version of this article said Scnhapp was seen wearing a “Zionism is Sexy” sticker.
