Actress Susan Sarandon was confronted by social media user Keren Picker in a video shared four days ago, where she denied Hamas’s October 7 atrocities and defended the terror group’s decision to reject multiple ceasefire agreements.
“As the singer and songwriter of the song ‘Ceasefire Now,’ do you know Hamas rejected every ceasefire agreement since October 7?” Picker asked Sarandon.
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In response to Picker’s question, Sarandon answered “Do you know why?”
“Why?” Picker prompted.
“Because they’re terrible deals,” Sarandon finally answered. “Palestine is not Hamas.”
The deals Hamas rejected included the March rejected ceasefire agreement, which would have seen 400 Palestinian security prisoners and terrorists in exchange for 40 hostages kidnapped on October 7 and a 6-week ceasefire. The hostages released under the agreement would have also fallen under humanitarian categories: women, children under 19, elderly over 50, and the sick, an anonymous official told Reuters.
Hamas has insisted that a hostage release would come at the cost of a complete and permanent ceasefire, despite officials from the terror group promising to repeat October 7 – a mass terror attack in which more than 1200 people were killed and a further 253 kidnapped.
“We know that all of those myths about babies in ovens and the rapes…” Sarandon continued while Picker interrupted and insisted “It’s not a myth. You’re denying, you’re denying the terror actions made on October 7th to so many innocent civilians.”
It is unclear what source Sarandon used as Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten found that there was substantial evidence to conclude that victims, as well as hostages and survivors of October 7, were sexually abused and raped. Additionally, the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel interviewed surviving victims and witnesses and concluded that terrorists forced families to watch their loved ones being sexually assaulted at gunpoint. Released hostages have also testified that Hamas sexually abused the women and men held captive.
After listening to Picker addressing the October 7 attack, Sarandon proceeded to question, “What about the 35,000 people that have been killed?”
Sarandon’s question referenced the statistics provided by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which statisticians and global experts have cast doubt on, according to the Jewish Chronicle.
Picker ends the video by warning Sarandon that Hamas is “coming for you next, Susan. Educate yourself.”
Susan Sarandon’s past controversy
Sarandon was forced to apologize in late 2023, after she claimed that spikes in antisemitic attacks were allowing Jews to finally "get… a taste of what it is like to be a Muslim" in the United States.
Following her comments, the actress was dropped by United Talent Agency.
Tamar Uriel-Beeri contributed to this report.