‘Human Suffering Must End’: Actor Ben Stiller Talks About Israel-Hamas War, Calls for Peace and Condemns Antisemitism

Jewish actor and filmmaker Ben Stiller pleaded for an end to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war on Thursday in an essay he penned for TIME magazine, in which he also expressed solidarity with Israelis and Palestinians impacted by the conflict that began after what he called the “barbaric” Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7.

“As an advocate for displaced people, I do believe this war must end,” he said. “As I write this, there are about 120 million people all over the world who have been displaced by conflicts. In the Middle East, in Ukraine, Sudan, and many other countries. They all deserve to live in safety and peace. The human suffering must end. We must demand this of our leaders. Peace is the only path.”

Stiller has worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), visiting refugees and those impacted by war and conflict in Lebanon, Guatemala, Jordan, Poland and Ukraine. He has advocated for refugees at the UN and in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The “Meet the Parents” star is half Jewish by way of his father, the late comedic legend Jerry Stiller. Ben’s paternal grandmother immigrated to the United States as a refugee from Poland and his father’s lineage also stems from Ukraine. The actor’s mother, who is Irish and born Catholic, converted to Judaism after getting married. Ben wrote that although he was not raised religious, he was taught from a young age “the traditions of inclusion and tolerance.”

The “Zoolander” star additionally said his “heart aches” for those impacted by the “heinous act of terrorism” committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, the innocent civilians who were murdered that day and the families of the hostages taken by Hamas who wait for the return of their loved ones.

“I also grieve for the innocent people in Gaza who have lost their lives in this conflict and those suffering through that awful reality now,” he wrote. “I detest war, but what Hamas did was unconscionable and reprehensible. The hostages have to be freed. Terrorism must be named and fought by all people of conscience on the planet. There is no excuse for it under any circumstances. I stand with the Israeli people and their right to live in peace and safety.

“At the same time, I don’t agree with all of the Israeli government’s choices on how they are conducting the war. I want the violence to end, and the innocent Palestinian people affected by the humanitarian crisis that has resulted to receive the lifesaving aid they need. And I know that many in Israel share this sentiment.”

Stiller is an advocate for the two-state solution, which he believes “ensures that the Israeli people can live in peace and safety alongside a homeland for the Palestinian people that provides them the same benefits.”

The “Tropic Thunder” star also discussed in his essay for TIME magazine the global rise in antisemitism following the Oct. 7 attacks. He said seeing “the brazen antisemitic incidents” taking place in his hometown of New York, has him feeling “a mix of anger, fear, and astonishment that we are at this place in our country.”

“As a kid growing up … in New York City in the ‘70s, I never really experienced antisemitism. Where we find ourselves now is a place I never thought I would be,” he explained. “I see a troubling conflation in criticism of the actions of the Israeli government with denunciations of all Israelis and Jewish people. And as a result, we are seeing an undeniable rise in global antisemitism. I am seeing it myself, on the streets of the city I grew up in. It isn’t right and must be denounced.”

He noted that antisemitism “must be condemned whenever it happens and wherever it exists.”

“As should Islamophobia and bigotry of all kinds,” he added. “There is a frightening amnesia for history in the air. We must remind ourselves that we can only manifest a more hopeful, just, and peaceful future by learning from the past.”