Clarifying the “phrasing was a terrible mistake.”
Susan Sarandon has addressed comments she made at a pro-Palestine rally last month after the speech was criticized for comparing rising antisemitic violence to Islamophobia in this country. She posted a statement on Instagram to clarify the remarks on December 2. “Intending to communicate my concern for an increase in hate crimes, I said that Jewish Americans, as the targets of rising antisemitic hate, ‘are getting a taste of what it is like to be Muslim in this country, so often subject to violence,’” the Oscar-winning actor wrote. “This phrasing was a terrible mistake, as it implies that until recently Jews have been strangers to persecution, when the opposite is true.”
Sarandon gave her speech at a November 17 demonstration. According to her statement, she had not “planned to speak but was invited to take the stage and say a few words.” “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. “I deeply regret diminishing this reality and hurting people with this comment.” For Sarandon, her comments meant to accomplish something different. “It was my intent to show solidarity in the struggle against bigotry of all kinds, and I am sorry I failed to do so,” she wrote.
A week after the rally, United Talent Agency dropped Sarandon. The actor’s former agency confirmed her departure to the press, but did not say if her comments at the rally was the reason they cut ties. She joins a growing list of public figures who have faced criticism or lost jobs over their pro-Palestine advocacy, which includes and Artforum’s former editor-in-chief, David Velasco, and Scream’s Melissa Barrera.
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