What do Debra Messing and hunky model Eliad Cohen have in common? A passion to help free Israeli hostages, who remain captive in Gaza by the terrorist organization Hamas.
Cohen, 35, was one of several Jewish celebrities who Messing, 55, teamed up with last fall in New York City to shed light on the horrific Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks that ravaged Israel, leaving many residents and visitors dead — and nearly 200 kidnapped.
“I flew from Miami and I met there Debra for the first time and she was super, super sweet,” the multi-hyphenate tells Pvnew in an exclusive interview, recounting his time in the Big Apple with the “Will & Grace” star, plus more notable activists.
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“It was a very emotional moment for all of us,” he adds.
Cohen and Messing were joined by Israeli actress Noa Tishby, Israeli singer Noa Kirel and “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast host Amanda Hirsch, who took to the streets of Manhattan to hang posters with the faces of men, women and children snatched from their families, friends and homes.
Cohen, for his part, highlighted the story of Margalit Moses, an abducted 78-year-old native of Israeli.
“I was just saying, ‘This could be our mom. This could be our mom being unarmed and being kidnapped in a place without knowing where is she, what time it is,’” he tells us. “And it’s just scary.”
Also scary for Cohen is the anti-Semitism he’s seen increase on social media, where his reach is vast as he has more than 1.4 million Instagram followers.
Despite any hate directed his way, though, the former Israeli Defense Forces member — also a prominent figure within the LGBTQIA+ community as a proudly out gay man — chooses to lead with love.
“I’m Israeli, I’m born in Israel. I’ve been in the army for three years, so I lived this. And then people that have never even been in the Middle East, they have such a strong opinion without knowing what’s really going on,” says the nightlife aficionado.
“Now, on my social media, all my campaigning and the focus is on the hostages and about spreading love,” he continues, observing the ongoing divisiveness between those who support Israel and those who support Palestine — where Hamas wields power even if the country’s citizens don’t agree with their governing.
“I’m posting that you can love Palestinians without hating Israelis, and you can love Israelis without hating Palestinians.”
This theme of unity is reflected in his recently released single, “In Common” — a sparkling EDM cover of Alicia Keys’ anthemic 2016 hit — on which the newly minted DJ collaborated with pop songstress Nikki Valentine.
He notes, however, that the track was recorded before the sociopolitical unrest in the Middle East began unspooling last year.
“I worked on it, like, six months ago before all the new reality that we are living in started. But yeah, we have a lot in common. Wherever you are, wherever you live, we have a lot in common,” he explains.
“For me, the most important thing is the lyrics and one of the most beautiful things about this song is [its message of] how we are all imperfect, we are all messed up.”
