On Friday night (1st December), the Academy Award (Oscar)-winning actress Susan Sarandon apologised for her anti-semitic remarks made during a pro-Palestinian rally held last month in NYC. In her apology, she stressed that her choice of words was a “terrible mistake.” She stressed that she deeply regrets “diminishing the reality” and the people she hurt with her comments.
Notably, on 17th November, the Hollywood actress addressed pro-Palestinian protestors held at Union Square, New York amid the Israel-Hamas war. Sarandon also joined the crowd in chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” – which is an antisemitic slogan that implies the decimation of Israel – before addressing the group herself.
Strikingly, the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is a demand to declare the entire land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea as Palestine, which means the elimination of the state of Israel.
Launching an anti-semitic tirade at the pro-Palestinian NYC rally, Sarandon had said, “There are a lot of people that are afraid, afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence.”
In an Instagram post, Susan Sarandon said she intended “to communicate my concern for an increase in hate crimes.” She argued, “This phrasing was a terrible mistake, as it implies that until recently Jews have been strangers to persecution when the opposite is true.”
In her post, she noted several instances of Jewish persecution and added, “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.”
For those unversed, by noting the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, PA, she was referring to the synagogue shooting that killed 11 and wounded six others in the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history.
According to the Hollywood actress, she was at the rally with a “diverse group of activists seeking to highlight the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza and call for a cease-fire.” In her apology, she defended herself by saying that she didn’t plan on speaking at the NYC rally, but she was invited on stage to say a few words.
Concluding her Insta post, Sarandon said, “I will continue my commitment to peace, truth, justice, and compassion for all people. I hope that we can meet with love and willingness to engage in dialogue, especially with those with whom we disagree.”
Backlash and a top Hollywood agency dropped her
Following her anti-Semitic rant at the Pro-Palestinian NYC rally on 17th November, Sarandon faced massive backlash and was dropped as a client last month by a top Hollywood agency, United Talent Agency (UTA). It had represented the actress since 2014. As per reports, the agency dropped Sarandon after several UTA staffers were “extremely hurt” by her comments.
Recently, she was spotted in public days after being dropped by her Talent hiring agency. In her public appearance, she walked through the West Village while wearing a “Simpsons” decorated Letterman-style jacket and black newsboy cap, the same clothing she wore when she gave those anti-semitic remarks on 17th November.
Reportedly, her apology post on Instagram was her first post on the social media platform since 20th November. Contrarily, she had previously used the platform almost exclusively to highlight different pro-Palestinian protests around the world.
Controversial track record of Susan Sarandon
Hollywood actress Sarandon (77) has a controversial track record of peddling left-wing propaganda and clashing with more moderate liberals in Hollywood.
When the anti-farm law protests were going on in India, the Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon was among the International celebrities who interfered in India’s internal matters. In a tweet posted in February 2021, the actress wrote, “Standing in solidarity with the Farmers Protest in India. Read about who they are and why they are protesting below.” Susan Sarandon had shared the link to a New York Times article, peddling anti-India propaganda to the global community.
Standing in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India. Read about who they are and why they’re protesting below. https://t.co/yWtEkqQynF
— Susan Sarandon (@SusanSarandon) February 5, 2021
Earlier, she had revealed her obsession with psychedelic drugs. In a startling interview in 2014, the Hollywood actress said that she was hooked on ‘magic mushrooms’ and Ayahuasca, a psychedelic tea. Magic Mushrooms contain a hallucinogenic compound named psilocybin, which is classified as a Scheduled I drug and is not legally permitted to be used for medical treatment in the US. She has a penchant for marijuana too and advocates its use over alcohol.
