The actress issued a statement following her comments amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war
Susan Sarandon has issued an apology after saying at a pro-Palestine rally in November that people feeling afraid of being Jewish at this time were “getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence”
“This phrasing was a terrible mistake,” she wrote in a statement shared to Instagram Friday night, “as it implies that until recently Jews have been strangers to persecution, when the opposite is true.”
“As we all know, from centuries of oppression and genocide in Europe, to the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, PA, Jews have long been familiar with discrimination and religious violence which continues to this day,” she continued, adding, “I deeply regret diminishing this reality and hurting people with this comment. It was my intent to show solidarity in the struggle against bigotry of all kinds, and I am sorry I failed to do so.”
Following the Oscar-winning actress’ remarks at the Nov. 17 rally in New York City, Sarandon was dropped by her talent agency UTA, where she’d been a client since 2014.
Tensions over the Israel-Hamas war have escalated across the nation and world, as well as in the political realm, where calls for a change in course regarding Gaza have been made by young activists to President Biden. Israeli authorities believe that Hamas killed around 1,200 people in its attack on Oct. 7. More than 1.7 million Gazans have been displaced, according to NBC News, and the death toll is believed to be more than 15,000 casualties in the region.