Hollywood power couple and political activists Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem have written an open letter denouncing the atrocities committed by Israel in this latest conflict in the Gaza Strip. The letter, which was written in Spanish and very poorly translated by Google Chrome (lo siento!) states the following:
The horror is happening in Gaza should be NO neutrality or equidistance. It is a war of occupation and extermination against a people without means, confined in a minimum territory without water and where hospitals, ambulances and children are white and suspected terrorists. Difficult to understand and impossible to justify.
And shameful Western stance allow such genocide. I do not understand this barbarism that horrible history of the Jewish people become even more cruelly incomprehensible. As geopolitical alliances, the hypocritical mask of business-for example, the sale of arms-explain the embarrassing position of USA, EU and Spain.
I know that you always would reject my right to review personal issues, so I want to clarify the following points:
Yes, I live Yes, my son was born in a Jewish hospital because I have very dear and close people who are Jewish and because being Jewish is not synonymous with support this slaughter, like be Hebrew is not the same as being a Zionist and Palestinian be no is to be of Hammas terrorist. That’s as absurd as saying that German will be akin to Nazism.
Yes, I work also in the USA where I have Jewish friends and acquaintances who reject such interventions and policies of aggression. “You can not invoke self-defense while murdering children” one of them told me by phone yesterday. And others that discuss openly found on our positions.
Yes, I’m European and I am ashamed to say represent a community with its silence and no shame.
Yes, I live in Spain I pay my taxes and do not want my money to fund policies that support this barbarism and arms trade with other countries that are enriched killing innocent children.
Yes, I am disgusted, embarrassed and hurt by so much injustice and murder of human beings. These children are our children. It is the horror. Hopefully you have compassion in the hearts of those who kill and clear this poison murderer that only creates more hatred and violence. Those Israelis and Palestinians who dream peace and coexistence may one day share your solution.
I encourage you to read these links:
https://www.msf.es/noticia/2014/gaza-israel-debe-dejar-bombardear-civiles-atrapados
https://iniciativadebate.org/2014/07/21/santiago-auseron-juan-perro-radio-futura-el-horror-que-se-disfraza-de-creencia/
https://www.elmundo.es/salud/2014/07/25/53d0dbc7e2704ebc108b4584.html
Javier Bardem
Boy am I regretting not taking Spanish in high school. I’m sure these sentences are much more cromulent than they appear as translated by my browser (you can find select quotes on Haaretz, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today). I must admit that I’m glad that someone from the celebrity activist wing of Hollywood has finally spoken out for the people of Gaza. All the Pitts and Clooneys and Baldwins have remained uncomfortably silent on the conflict for the past two weeks, which is leading all the idiots of the internet to assume that Hollywood is either pro-Hamas or secretly Zionist. And while I don’t agree with everything the Bardem letter states (I don’t think Israel wants to “exterminate” the Palestinians. I think calling the war a “genocide” is an insult to genocides), I do believe that Israel has (and likely is) committing war crimes in Gaza, I do believe Israel is an apartheid state, and I do believe that the right-wing Israeli government is doing everything in their power to ethnically cleanse the occupied territories. I am glad that Bardem and all the signatories of the letter had the guts to speak out. even though I don’t agree with some of the language used in the letter. Then again, I don’t speak Spanish.