After posting a statement about the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Noah Schnapp has been slammed by people online who believe he is being disingenuous.
On October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking another 240 captive. Israel subsequently fired airstrikes on Gaza, which is governed by Hamas, before launching a ground offensive into the area. As of January 15, 24,100 people in the Gaza Strip have been killed, according to figures from the Associated Press.
The 19-year-old Stranger Things actor, who is Jewish, came under fire last year due to his remarks about the ongoing conflict, with fans threatening to boycott the show over his behavior. While he has remained relatively silent over the issue in recent months, amid the fifth and final season of the series being filmed, Schnapp took to his TikTok account to break his silence—and people aren't happy.
In a nearly two-minute video uploaded on Monday night, Schnapp told followers that he feels like his thoughts and beliefs have been "misconstrued" and said he wants peace "for all innocent people" and has "learned a lot" from recent conversations with Palestinian friends. The comments have been turned off.
"One of the takeaways I've had is that we all hope for the same things. That being [that] those innocent people still being held hostage in Gaza to be returned to their families and equally hope for an end to the loss of innocent life in Palestine, so many of those people being women and children, and it's horrible to see," he said.
Schnapp went on to say that he thinks that anyone with "any ounce of humanity" would be hoping for "an end to the hostility on both sides" and wants people to be able to live together harmoniously.
He continued: "And I hope for 2024 online to see people be a little more understanding and compassionate and recognize that we're all human regardless of our race, of our ethnicity, of our background, of our country of birth, even of our sexuality of anything. We are all human and we're all the same and we should all love each other for that and support each other and stand together. And stand together for humanity and for peace."
The statement hasn't gone down well with people online. They have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize the actor, with many theorizing that he's only shared a statement so he doesn't get fired from Stranger Things due to the ongoing backlash.
Newsweek reached out to Netflix and a spokesperson for Schnapp via email for comment on Wednesday.
"We kept a record babes ur on the internet liking & sharing your delusional propaganda, you were literally out here w 'Zionism is Sexy' stickers, calling all Palestinians and those in support of them 'terrorists', so shut the actual f*** up about 'I just want harmony for everyone'. Call for the end of the occupation and a ceasefire, until then you are exactly who you've shown yourself to be so, own that," singer Lauren Jauregui, a former Fifth Harmony member, posted. At the time of writing it had 4.4 million views.
"He's not sorry. he's not supporting palestine now he's just panicking bc people are rightfully calling for him to get fired from stranger things i just want to take this opportunity to say f*** noah schnapp and f*** stranger things," someone else wrote.
"noah schnapp's stinky a** turning comments off bc his damage control didn't work," another X user posted.
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"noah schnapp went on a birthright trip that was basically a marketing campaign for the idf, called all palestinians 'terrorists', printed and distributed stickers saying zionism is sexy but now it's all 'be kind'. i wish nothing but the worst for him," a fourth person commented.
A fifth added: "noah schnapp talking about 'humanity'... i need that season to be canceled and him jobless so bad."
Not everyone has slammed the actor, as a few people have shown their support.
"It is complicated to give an opinion on these issues," one X user wrote.
Fellow Stranger Things actor Brett Gelman has also defended Schnapp. While he said he hasn't watched Schnapp's video, he told TMZ: "I saw nothing wrong with what he originally said."
Schnapp is no stranger to backlash, as he faced cancellation calls when his initial statement on the Israel-Hamas conflict—which included the words "You either stand with Israel or you stand with terrorism"—caused furore. In the statement, he also said "As a Jewish American, I am afraid," but it has since been deleted.
People also rushed to X to condemn the actor's actions after he was seen posing with stickers reading "Zionism is Sexy." The actor was filmed by friends sitting in a cafe as they showed off the stickers while laughing and joking. They were also holding stickers that read "Hamas is Isis."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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