Josh Gad Claims He Was ‘Threatened’ Over Response To Israel Attacks

“Frozen” actor Josh Gad claims that he was “shamed’ and “threatened” due to his response to the Hamas attacks on Israel, which have resulted in the death of thousands of lives.

On Monday, Josh shared his response to former CNN Chief White House correspondent Jessica Yellin’s post about the crisis, adding his own commentary. Soon after, he took to Threads to say that he was “threatened” after stating his point of view.

In an Instagram post published two days ago, Jessica Yellin admitted that her remarks might be controversial.

“I know this could ignite a battle in comments and that is not my goal. My purpose here is to share the discussion that is happening in texts calls and chats. Many Jewish people who are reading the comments on here and across social media today are messaging me, saying they are afraid. They ask, why are some people so quick to dismiss the terror Israeli people are experiencing,” she wrote.

“I extend compassion to everyone struggling with this war and extend an invitation to those who are open - to learn more about how these conversations land from a Jewish perspective,” she added.

Josh Gad reshared her Instagram post to his own Instagram page, adding, “Thank you @jessicayellin for putting into words what so many of us are trying to communicate to a sea of apathy, hostility, and whataboutism. I also think it’s very important to remember that among the hundreds killed were young men and women protesting the Israeli Government for its occupation and draconian laws.”

“Their voices have now been silenced, their blood has now been spilled. Which was always Hamas’s intention. It doesn’t care if anyone is sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians,” he continued. “This was never about peace. It’s about eradicating a people and a religion that represents less than 1% of the world but constantly has to bear the hatred of generation after generation who excuse our deaths because of Hamas-like propaganda.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but I am grateful that my Grandparents who survived the Holocaust and who’s families were all rounded up and killed aren’t here to see what’s happening right now,” he went on. “Not only because I wouldn’t want them to relive the trauma of the events over the last few days of men, women and children butchered and rounded up like livestock along with the dead paraded and desecrated, but because of the defeating silence of so many Americans… who’s arms they fled into hoping that the cycle of hate would end. It hasn’t.”

“Instead, we now have a new color of anti-semitism in the form of cheering on terrorists as if this is a baseball game,” he concluded. “Meanwhile more Jews and Palestinians continue to die and Hamas is loving the silence and the acts to silence those who speak out.”

Later that day, he took to Threads to say that he had been “shamed” and “threatened” over his views. “There’s something I have to say because it’s really making me curious as to where we are as a society. Yesterday, I and the world watched as a Terrorist organization massacred 600 innocent humans and took children and families hostage,” he began.

“I posted a message of heartbreak and shock. I, who have always been critical of the Israeli Government and its pattern of occupation and their attacks on innocent Gazans was personally attacked, shamed, unfollowed, and threatened. Instead of compassion & humanity, people are treating this as if it’s a FOOTBALL match with two teams when the points scored are dead human bodies,” he continued.

 

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“Waving flags around as if they are team jerseys. Have we lost our fucking minds? Somewhere in a basement right now, tied up and terrified are little CHILDREN who have never done anything to hurt a Palestinian,” he went on. “Somewhere on the streets of Gaza are innocent people who are being shelled, because terrorists decided it was best to destroy any opportunity for peace.”

“And the response is to shame people like me for expressing grief and heartache, the same grief I share anytime an innocent Palestinian is displaced or killed? Is this where we are?” he asked. “I guess it is. One of the many vile messages I will share with you that I received yesterday is: ‘My only regret is that they didn’t kill more Israelis.’ Not soldiers… civilians. People.”

“This isn’t a war. It’s a massacre. It’s a bloodbath. And instead of communal despair, so many are treating this as if it’s politics or a rugby match…” he concluded.  “There are no winners here. We are all losers. Most importantly, every Israeli and Palestinian is now on the losing end. I am truly at a loss. I guess I’m the naive one.”

 

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Still, Josh did manage to find some support, especially from Benjamin Berkowitz, a former Board Member of the Jewish Film Institute. “Thank you, Josh! I can’t tell you how hard it is to express support for those impacted by the atrocities, to then be attacked for those sentiments,” Berkowitz commented on his Thread.

“We want peace, quiet, and prosperity for all—that is what all humans deserve,” he added. “But for people to take this and make it an opportunity to make antisemitic attacks is abhorrent.”