Emmy-winning actress Patricia Heaton has been outspoken in her support of Israel since it was attacked by the terrorist group Hamas, changing her profile picture to the nation’s flag and encouraging her fans to pray for Israel and donate to humanitarian relief.
The day after the attacks, she reposted a photo of an individual praying at the Western Wall accompanied by a message: “Praying for Israel.” Soon, she changed her profile picture on the social media platform X to the Israeli flag and her banner photo to a graphic stating, “I Stand with Israel.”
If you are looking to help those affected by the Israel-Gaza crisis you can consider donating to charities working on the ground. Here’s a few links shared to me via Beth Jacob Congregation https://t.co/lRHRqeVyxH pic.twitter.com/sHINqDRRsE
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) October 11, 2023
She posted a video of Hamas’ kidnapping a family with her own message: “This is Hamas. They are a terrorist organization.”
She celebrated the news that the $6 billion in funds for Iran had been frozen: “Huzzah!!!!”
She posted pictures of body bags of dead Israelis following the terrorist attack and wrote, “Barbaric and unconscionable.”
When a follower suggested Israel should not order the evacuation of Gaza, Heaton retorted, “Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields, destroys their own water supplies, limits their access to food and medicine, teaches their children to hate and kill Jews. Israel has nothing to do with this. Feel free to unfollow.”
She even recorded a video comparing the atrocities of Hamas to those in World War II.
“Have you ever thought, ‘Gee, if I were a German during World War II, I hope I would be that person who would stand up for my Jewish neighbors’? Well, guess what? We have that opportunity today. Right now, the Jewish people are being slaughtered by terrorists.”
She encouraged her followers to “reach out to your Jewish friends and tell them you support them.”
“If you’re active on social media, please stand up for Israel,” she said.
At one point, she joked she was having trouble staying silent: “Well, current events have certainly brought out the fighting Irish in me. And I’m using restraint…let’s see how long that lasts.”
Although Heaton, who is Catholic, has been one of the most outspoken Hollywood personalities supporting Israel, she has not been the only one. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who is Jewish, posted an image on Instagram saying he stands with Israel.
“I lived and worked on a Kibbutz in Israel when I was 16, and I have loved our Jewish homeland ever since,” Seinfeld wrote. “My heart is breaking from these attacks and atrocities. But we are also very strong people in our hearts and minds. We believe in justice, freedom, and equality. We survive and flourish no matter what. I will always stand with Israel and the Jewish people.”
Seinfeld, actress Gal Gadot, and more than 1,000 members of the Hollywood community signed a letter labeling Hamas’ actions as terrorism and calling on “our friends and colleagues in the entertainment industry to speak out forcefully against Hamas and do whatever is in their power to urge the terrorist organization to return the innocent hostages to their families.”
“As Israel takes the necessary steps to defend its citizens in the coming days and weeks, social media will be overrun by an orchestrated misinformation campaign spearheaded by Iran,” the letter said, according to Deadline. “We urge everyone to remember the horrific images that came out of Israel and to not amplify or fall for their propaganda. Our thoughts are with all those experiencing unfathomable levels of fear and violence, and we hope for the day when Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace.”
Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/Jason Kempin / Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.