A heartfelt plea for humanity has emerged from Hollywood’s brightest stars. Dozens of celebrities, including Adam Sandler, Amy Schumer, Henry Winkler, and a host of other notable figures, have penned an open letter addressed to President Joe Biden. The missive, posted on Monday, strongly urges the release of hostages held by Hamas terrorists in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group.
The letter, made available at nohostagleftbehind.com, commences with expressions of gratitude for the recent releases of American hostages Judith Ranaan and her daughter Natalie Ranaan, as well as two Israelis, Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz. However, it quickly turns to a sobering reality, as it emphasizes the concern for the 220 innocent people still held captive by terrorists, among them 30 children. These individuals are enduring the constant threat of torture and death.
The letter underscores the horrors of the events that led to these abductions, stating, “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.”
The celebrities acknowledge President Biden’s unwavering moral conviction, leadership, and support for both the Jewish people, who have suffered from Hamas’ terror for over three decades, and the Palestinians, who have also experienced oppression during the group’s 17-year rule in 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,” the letter passionately expresses.
The plea is not confined to any one nationality. It calls for the release of hostages, regardless of their origin, emphasizing that, “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.”
This heartfelt appeal to end the suffering of innocent hostages has been shared on social media by some of the signatories. Amy Schumer, in particular, took to her account to reiterate the importance of unity, stating, “Today we came together in solidarity not to divide but to unite to thank President Biden for his work releasing hostages and urge all to leave #NoHostageLeftBehind.”
As celebrities use their platforms to draw attention to this humanitarian crisis, the hope is that the collective voice of those advocating for the hostages’ release will help bring an end to their harrowing ordeal.