Jewish Actor Andrew Garfield Says ‘Our Hearts and Our Energy’ Should Be With Palestinians in Gaza
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Andrew Garfield at 32th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival in East Hampton, NY on October 5, 2024. Photo: David Warren/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Jewish actor Andrew Garfield spoke out in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who are being impacted by the Israel-Hamas war during an interview for his new film “We Live in Time.”
Garfield, whose American father is Jewish, was a guest on an episode of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that was recorded live on Thursday at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. When the host, Josh Horowitz, asked the Golden Globe winner what kind of role he wants in the future, Garfield replied by drawing attention to Palestinians in Gaza.
“We should be putting our energy toward something that actually matters,” Garfield said. “Maybe the lives of, I don’t know, Palestinians in Gaza right now.” His response elicited a loud applause from the audience at the live recording.
“Maybe that’s where we put our hearts and our energy in, and anyone suffering, anyone oppressed, anyone that is suffering under the weight of the horrors of our world right now, anyone who doesn’t have a choice in living lives of dignity,” he added. “That’s where our energy should be going right now.”
“The Amazing Spider-Man” star was among hundreds who signed the Artists4Ceasefire letter last year, urging US President Joe Biden to call for an immediate ceasefire to end the war in Gaza.
In 2021, Garfield said his Jewish heritage has taught him empathy. “Because of the ancestral memory of what it is to be persecuted, of what it is to be told that you don’t belong on this earth, that there’s a physical threat of violence and extermination, and how deeply moving it is that we have survived that threat, that can only enhance our empathy for anyone else going through that same kind of injustice and threat of physical annihilation,” he explained.
He has also previously described the superhero Spider-Man, also known as Peter Parker, as Jewish.
