JERUSALEM, Aug 5 — A petition from many of Israel’s top artists and writers calling for a ceasefire in Gaza attracted fierce criticism yesterday from a well-known television actor who was wounded in combat.
The petition, published Sunday and signed by nearly 1,000 artists, read: “As men and women of culture and art in Israel, we find ourselves, against our will and values, complicit… in the responsibility for the horrific events in the Gaza Strip.”
“We call on everyone involved in shaping and implementing this policy to stop! Do not issue illegal orders and do not obey them! Do not commit war crimes! Do not abandon the principles of human morality and the values of Judaism! Stop the war. Release the hostages,” they said.
But the star of the popular military thriller Fauda, singer and actor Idan Amedi — who was severely wounded in action in January 2024 fighting Hamas in Gaza as a military reservist — spoke out against the petition, accusing the authors of peddling “fake news”.
“Step into a tunnel for a moment. Fight for just one day like tens of thousands of reservists, and then go ahead, sign petitions,” Amedi posted on social media.
“There is no other army in the world operating in such a densely populated area with as minimal civilian casualties as ours. It’s proven. Go check,” Amedi posted on social media.
Culture Minister Miki Zokar praised Amedi and actor Moran Atias — who similarly slammed the petition—hailing their “lucidity and patriotism”. — AFP
