Hollywood notables condemn Hamas and Hezbollah

August 17, 2006 In a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times, 85 top actors, directors and other Hollywood notables accused Hezbollah and Hamas of being terrorist organisations and blamed them for the deaths of all the civilians in Lebanon and Israel; including the civilians that were killed by Israel's bombing of Lebanon.

The statement in the ad read as follows:
 * We the undersigned are pained and devastated by the civilian casualties in Israel and Lebanon caused by terrorist actions initiated by terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas. If we do not succeed in stopping terrorism around the world, chaos will rule and innocent people will continue to die. We need to support democratic societies and stop terrorism at all costs.

Among the signatories are famous actors such as: Michael Douglas, Patricia Heaton, Dennis Hopper, William Hurt, Don Johnson, Nicole Kidman, Michael Mann, Kelly Preston, Sylvester Stallone, Danny De Vito, Bruce Willis and James Woods.

Also included were directors Dick Donner, Michael Mann, Sam Raimi, Ridley Scott and Tony Scott. Other influential Hollywood signatories include News Corporation chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch, chairman and majority owner of Paramount Pictures Sumner Redstone and media mogul Haim Saban.

Although neither Hamas nor Hezbollah have responded directly to the statement, both organisations have previously insisted that they are not terror organisations, but merely legitimate resistance movements.

Mahmoud al-Zahar, who is foreign minister of the Palestinian National Authority as well as a co-founder of Hamas and member of Hamas' leadership in the Gaza Strip, has previously insisted his organisation has the "right to resist" Israeli attacks. He continued:
 * We are not playing at terrorism or violence. We are under occupation...The Israelis are continuing their aggression against our people, killing, detention, demolition and in order to stop these processes, we run effective self defence by all means, including using guns.

Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres had earlier persuaded Nicole Kidman to visit Israel and, during a conference held by Rupert Murdoch, said "Maybe you can be tourism ambassador to the Galilee."