Noah Schnapp says his views on Gaza were misconstrued

Amid escalating Israeli brutality, marked by a rising death toll that exceeds 24,000, Palestinian advocates are calling for a boycott against corporate and cultural products that support apartheid. Similar calls for a boycott were made against actor Noah Schnapp and his hit series Stranger Things after a viral video showed him promoting “Zionism is sexy” stickers.

Two months after the controversy, the actor took to TikTok on Tuesday with a video statement, claiming that his views on the matter have been misconstrued. Notably, the statement comes just one week after production began for Stranger Things season 5.

“I just wanted to come here for a quick chat to discuss everything that’s going on online. I feel like my thoughts and beliefs have been misconstrued so far by anything even close to what I believe, and I just wanted to state from my heart how I feel,” Schnapp insisted. “I just want peace, safety and security for all the innocent people affected by this conflict.”

Schnapp went on to say that talking “with friends from a Palestinian background” helped him learn more about Israel and Palestine. “One of the key points I had is that we all hope for the same things, that these innocent people who are still being held hostage in Gaza are returned to their families and equally we hope for an end to the loss of innocent lives in Palestine, so many many of these people are women and children. It’s horrible to watch,” he continued.

Underscoring the hope for an end to violence as a shared goal for “both sides,” Snapp continued, “I stand against any killing of any innocent person, and I hope all of you do too. I just hope one day to see these two groups can live together harmoniously in this area and I hope in 2024 on the internet I see people be a little more understanding and compassionate and recognize that we are all human regardless of our race, our ethnicity, our origin, our country of birth…”

However, TikTok’s post drew mixed reactions among fans, with many still calling for a boycott and questioning the timing of Schnapp’s statement. The actor then completely disabled the comment section on the TikTok video.

Last year, Schnapp released a lengthy memo following the Hamas surprise attack on Israel in October that resulted in over 1,300 casualties. The Jewish actor stated that although Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people, the only right side is Israel. “Either you stand with Israel or with terrorism. It shouldn’t be a difficult choice. Shame on you,” Schnapp said.

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