Stranger Things actor Noah Schnapp has addressed the backlash he’s received over his stance on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
The actor took to social media on Monday with a new video on TikTok, saying that thoughts and beliefs he has about the matter have been “misconstrued.”
“I feel like my thoughts and beliefs have been so far misconstrued from anything even close to what I believe, and I wanted to just state from my heart how I feel,” Schnapp said. “I only want peace and safety and security for all innocent people affected by this conflict.”
Backlash against Schnapp began shortly after the actor began making posts about the Israel-Palestine conflict in October. In a since-deleted post, the actor said that he was afraid as a Jewish American over the October 7 attack against Israel.
Fans also noted that Schnapp began liking posts that mocked Palestinian victims in Gaza and could also be seen dancing and singing in restaurants wearing “Zionism is sexy” buttons with some friends. Since then, fans have begun calling for a boycott of Stranger Things’ upcoming fifth season.
Schnapp has had “some very important conversations” with friends
In Schanpp’s latest video, he said that after speaking to Palestinian friends, he understands now that both sides of the conflict want the same thing.
“I’ve had many open discussions with friends from Palestinian background [sic], and I think those are very important conversations to have, and I’ve learned a lot,” said Schnapp. “One of the takeaways I’ve had is that we all hope for the same things. That being 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 continued: “I think anyone with any ounce of humanity would hope for an end to the hostility on both sides. I stand against any killing of any innocent people and I hope you guys all do, too. And I just hope to one day see those two groups be able to live harmoniously together in that region. 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 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.”
