A dizzying amount of A-list Hollywood actors, comedians and entertainment executives signed an open letter to President Joe Biden on Monday, calling for the release of all hostages taken by terrorist group Hamas.
Amy Schumer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chris Rock, Gwyneth Paltrow, Katy Perry, Bradley Cooper, Justin Timberlake and more were among the highly visible figures to sign the note, launching a formal campaign called #NoHostageLeftBehind. The note stands in response to events following the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel at the hands of the extremist group, and its release of four hostages in recent days.
“We are heartened by Friday’s release of the two American hostages, Judith Ranaan and her daughter Natalie Ranaan and by today’s release of two Israelis, Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, whose husbands remain in captivity,” the letter read. “But our relief is tempered by our overwhelming concern that 220 innocent people, including 30 children, remain captive by terrorists, threatened with torture and death.”
Producers and corporate players who signed the letter include Shari Redstone, Amy Pascal, Brian Grazer, David Geffen, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz, Judd Apatow, Jessica Elbaum, Greg Berlanti, David Ellison and WME’s Ari Greenburg.
“We all want the same thing: Freedom for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace. Freedom from the brutal violence spread by Hamas. And most urgently, in this moment, freedom for the hostages,” the group said. “We urge everyone to not rest until all hostages are released. No hostage can be left behind.”
Read the full note:
Dear President Biden,
We are heartened by Friday’s release of the two American hostages, Judith Ranaanand her daughter Natalie Ranaan and by today’s release of two Israelis, Nurit Cooperand Yocheved Lifshitz, whose husbands remain in captivity.
But our relief is tempered by our overwhelming concern that 220 innocent people, including 30 children, remain captive by terrorists, threatened with torture and death. They were taken by Hamas in the savage massacre of October 7, where over 1,400 Israelis were slaughtered — women raped, families burned alive, and infants beheaded.
Thank you for your unshakable moral conviction, leadership, and support for the Jewish people, who have been terrorized by Hamas since the group’s founding over 35 years ago, and for the Palestinians, who have also been terrorized, oppressed, and victimized by Hamas for the last 17 years that the group has been governing Gaza.
We all want the same thing: Freedom for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace. Freedom from the brutal violence spread by Hamas. And most urgently, in this moment, freedom for the hostages.
We urge everyone to not rest until all hostages are released. No hostage can be left behind. Whether American, Argentinian, Australian, Azerbaijani, Brazilian, British, Canadian, Chilean, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Eritrean, Filipino, French, German, Indian, Israeli, Italian, Kazakh, Mexican, Panamanian, Paraguayan, Peruvian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, South African, Spanish, Sri Lankan, Thai, Ukrainian, Uzbekistani or otherwise, we need to bring them home.
