Here we go again. The Academy Awards are upon us, and antisemites are trying to take over a beloved evening.
On the very day of the release of the Bibas family members — who were murdered by Hamas in cold blood in Gaza — Artists4Ceasefire sent a letter encouraging attendees to wear a pin featuring a bloody hand to the Oscars.
What is happening here?
The pin is a slap in the face to Jews, and other terror victims, across the globe.
It symbolizes the violence of the Second Intifada, in which Palestinian terrorists murdered Jews in the West Bank with their bare hands.
During that time, one of the terrorists looked out a window and held his bloodied hands up high in front of a cheering crowd after brutally murdering two Israelis.
The Hollywood A-Listers’ claim the hand’s “red background [is] to symbolize the urgency of the call to save lives. The orange hand conveys the beautiful community of people from all backgrounds that have come together in support of centering our shared humanity. The heart being cradled in the center of the hand is an invitation for us to lead with our hearts, always, to lead with love.”
Sure. It’s all about “love” and “shared humanity.”
How utterly perverse: Either they’re shockingly ignorant (particularly for people who pretend to be enlightened) or they’re intentionally closing their eyes to the figure’s actual savage origins.
After all, there are plenty of other symbols this movement could use to express their desire for love, peace and harmony (a dove? a simple heart?).
But their choice of the bloody hand effectively endorses Arab terror and barbarism against Jews.
Remember, this is the same group of people who claim they want a permanent cease-fire and hostage release but are radio silent about the fact that the Bibas boys’ mother — our beloved Shiri — did not come back with her murdered children.
They stayed mum as Hamas returned a different, unknown body, and took its sweet time returning her back to Israel.
Nor do they see any moral differences between those who perpetrate unprovoked acts of savagery (who strangles babies with their bare hands?) and those who act to defend themselves while taking pains to protect their enemy’s civilians.
This week, all of Israel, and the entire Jewish world, came together to honor the memories of the slaughtered Bibas boys and their mom during their funerals.
Three funerals at once.
An entire family murdered in captivity, with no chance to say goodbye.
Yet, as we learned from the 2024 presidential election, so many in Hollywood are simply clueless.
They think their celebrity status as performers somehow makes them smarter and more important.
The truth? Their mindless endorsements of former Vice President Kamala Harris were ignored by a solid majority; most Americans, it turns out, can think for themselves and see with their own eyes.
Nor will their hate-filled political stunts silence our proud Jewish voices.
This week, the Jewish community of Hollywood came together — more than 700 of us — to denounce these terror-backers, who clearly don’t care about Jews and Jewish suffering.
When they wore the pins to the Oscars last year, I and so many others were shocked that stars like Mark Ruffalo and Billie Eilish could be so morally obtuse.
But in the intervening year, there’s been even more evidence (as if Oct. 7, 2023, wasn’t enough) that they are on the wrong side of morality: Day after day, former hostages and Oct. 7 survivors have shared their traumatic experiences.
Yet the celebs still side with Islamist terror and against Israel and Jews.
Their moral depravity is hugely disappointing to anyone who understands the issues, the history — and what these hate symbols actually represent.
But this year, let’s not give them a platform.
If any other racist group was invited to a major awards ceremony, the invitation would be rescinded immediately.
I plead with my fellow Hollywood voices to press the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to lay down the law: Ban these pins from the Oscars.
If anyone wears them, kick them out.
Public support for violence against Jews must not be the new norm — in Hollywood or anywhere else.
Yuval David is an Emmy Award-winning actor and filmmaker.
