Pro-Israel celebrities range from veteran film actors to musicians to comedians. All have publicly supported Israel, signing statements against the boycott of Israel, or traveling to the country. Some have performed there and others have been honored by Israeli institutions. Social media spats and press feuds between pro and anti-Israel celebrities are common. Many of the most prominent celebrities for Israel have had public arguments, insulted anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian figures, or written open letters addressed to other celebrities. Here are some of the most well-known celebrities who support Israel.
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Howard Stern has used his radio show to voice support for Israel, as well as to take issue with anti-Israel celebrities - especially Pink Floyd singer Roger Waters. In October 2015, Stern spent seven minutes on his show questioning why the musician seems to hate the country so much: Israel has a little tiny country, and it bugs the sh*t out of Roger Waters. Where do you want the Jews to go, Roger?
Maher has defended Israeli military action in Gaza, saying in 2014: If the Hamas people had the opportunity, they would kill the maximum number of Israelis, which would be all. And Israel has the opportunity to kill way more and they do not. It seems like they are the victim of the soft bigotry of high expectations. Maher also took criticism for a 2014 tweet in which he compared the response to Hamas to “dealing [with] a crazy woman who's trying to kill u - u can only hold her wrists so long before you have to slap her.” In 2024, on his hBO show, he criticized pro-Palestinian protesters.
Actress Scarlett Johansson became the subject of controversy when she joined an ad campaign for SodaStream, a company with headquarters in Israel and a factory in the West Bank. She appeared in a 2014 Super Bowl ad for the company. In response to criticism at the time, Johansson wrote in HuffPost: I remain a supporter of economic cooperation and social interaction between a democratic Israel and Palestine. SodaStream is a company that is not only committed to the environment but to building a bridge to peace between Israel and Palestine, supporting neighbors working alongside each other, receiving equal pay, equal benefits and equal rights. In 2015, SodaStream moved its plant from the West Bank to the Negev Desert.
When fighting between Israel and Hamas escalated in 2021, Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot wrote on social media, in part: My heart breaks. My country is at war. I worry for my family, my friends. I worry for my people. This is a vicious cycle that has been going on for far too long. Israel deserves to live as a free and safe nation. Our neighbors deserve the same. In October 2023, after the Hamas attack on Israel, Gadot posted on Instagram: I stand with Israel you should too. The world cannot sit on the fence when these horrific acts of terror are happening!
Actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a 2014 pro-Israel statement, and called the country "a beacon of democracy and human rights" during a 2011 appearance at the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles. In December 2023 in Santa Monica, CA, Schwarzenegger met with relatives of hostages seized by Hamas in October 2023 and held in Gaza, calling himself “a big friend of the Jewish people and Israel.”
Actor Jon Voigt has been a longtime supporter of Israel. In a 2015 video released to Just Jared, he said: I love Israel. I want to see Israel survive and not be overtaken by the madmen of this world. President Obama does not love Israel. His whole agenda is to control Israel. And this way he can be friends with all of Israel’s enemies. He doesn’t want [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to win this upcoming election. In November 2023 he criticized his daughter, actress Angelina Jolie, for her stance on the Israeli-Hamas war. Jolie said in an Instagram post that “millions of Palestinian civilians - children, women, families - are being collectively punished and dehumanized, all while being deprived [of] food, medicine and humanitarian aid against international law." Voight said in response, "I am very disappointed that my daughter, like so many, has no understanding of God's honor, God's truths. This is about destroying the history of God’s land, the Holy Land, the land of the Jews… The Israeli army must protect thy soil.”
Sorkin has voiced support for Israel in a number of ways. He was honored in 2015 by the Los Angeles Israel Film Festival, signed the 2014 statement from the group Creative Community for Peace criticizing Hamas, and said in 2015 that “it couldn't be more important to support Israel.” In October 2023, he quit his agency CAA and moved to WME after CAA agent Maha Dakhil reposted via Instagram a post from another account that was critical of Israel and referred to Israel committing “genocide” against Palestinians. “Maha isn’t an antisemite, she’s just wrong,” Sorkin said. Dakhil later apologized and took down the post.
Bon Jovi was scheduled to play an October 2015 concert in Tel Aviv, and in response to a question about the cultural boycott from the Israeli daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Jon Bon Jovi responded: Yes, I heard about [the boycott] but it doesn’t interest me. I told my managers to give one simple answer: That I’m coming to Israel and I’m excited to come.
The late comedian vocally supported Israel, and sometimes spoke out against other celebrities who disagreed with her. In 2013, she told a TMZ reporter, when asked about supposedly pro-Palestine tweets from singer Selena Gomez: “Oh, well, if Selena said that! Let’s see if she can spell 'Palestinian.'" In 2014, a friend of Rivers told The Hollywood Reporter that the comedian had hired a bodyguard because of death threats she got after advocating the bombing of Hamas by Israel - a statement Rivers said was taken out of context.
Minnie Driver refused to sign on to a boycott of the Toronto Film Festival in 2009, taking place because the festival was spotlighting films about Tel Aviv. She released a statement calling the boycott censorship, saying: "Empowered groups of people, deciding whose stories can, and cannot be told, does nothing but remind us of oppression that has no place in filmmaking.”
Actor Sylvester Stallone signed the 2014 statement from Creative Community for Peace the 2014 support statement, and has raised money for the Israeli Defense Force by appearing at fundraising galas.
Iin November 2023, actor and comedian Jon Lovitz responded to those who criticized him for supporting Israel after the events of October 7, 2023. He write in a post on X (formerly Twitter): I appreciate your support during this time of war in Israel and the rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world. I'm speaking out because I feel I must. The world doesn't like it when Jews fight back. Tough sh*t. The positive responses I get far outweigh the vile comments. Whenever they call me names, like I'm a Nazi or has been or not funny, I realize I've successfully punched a bully in the nose and they're bleeding. In the words of Sylvester Stallone... Keep punching! #IStandwithIsrael
