Hollywood Icon Says Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem Should Hang Their Heads In Shame

Actor Jon Voight says that A-List power couple Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem should be ashamed of themselves for accusing Israel in an open letter of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Cruz has since backpedaled on the statement, claiming — to the surprise of absolutely no one — that she is not an expert on the Middle East.

The dad of Angelina Jolie, Jon Voight won an Oscar for his performance in Coming Home and is currently starring in Showtime’s Ray Donovan. Perhaps best known for his role in Midnight Cowboy, Voight has 82 acting credits on IMDB.

In a column published by The Hollywood Reporter responding to Cruz, Bardem, and other anti-Israel celebrities in the entertainment community, Voight wrote in part:

“I am more than angry, I am heartsick that people like Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem could incite anti-Semitism all over the world and are oblivious to the damage they have caused.

“They are obviously ignorant of the whole story of Israel’s birth, when in 1948 the Jewish people were offered by the UN a portion of the land originally set aside for them in 1921, and the Arab Palestinians were offered the other half. The Arabs rejected the offer, and the Jews accepted, only to be attacked by five surrounding Arab countries committed to driving them into the sea. But the Israelis won. The Arabs tried it again in 1967, and again in 1973, launching a sneak attack on the holiest Jewish holiday. Each time the Jews prevailed but not without great loss of life. And when Israel was not fighting a major war, it was defending itself against terrorist campaigns.

And yet Israel has always labored for a peaceful relation with its Arab neighbors…”

Continued Voight:

“…I am asking all my peers who signed that poison letter against Israel to examine their motives. Can you take back the fire of anti-Semitism that is raging all over the world now?… You had a great responsibility to use your celebrity for good. Instead, you have defamed the only democratic country of goodwill in the Middle East: Israel. You should hang your heads in shame. You should all come forth with deep regrets for what you did, and ask forgiveness from the suffering people in Israel.”

Given the recent violent protests by the left against Israel here in America and in Europe particularl since the beginning of the Gaza conflict, anti-Israel sentiment seems increasingly to be a proxy for anti-Semitism and the targeting of innocent Jewish citizens. As The New York Times reported, “Across Europe, the conflict in Gaza is generating a broader backlash against Jews, as threats, hate speech and even violent attacks proliferate in several countries.”

Prior to the ceasefire that fell apart after just a few hours, NBC News filed this report about the Hamas terror tunnels:

Do you agree with Jon Voight that Cruz and company should hang their heads in shame for their ignorance about the Middle East?

[top image via Charles Edwards / Shutterstock.com]

Added: Javier Bardem has also made a clarification: “My signature was solely meant as a plea for peace. Destruction and hatred only generate more hatred and destruction.”