David Schwimmer, who played Ross Geller on the television show Friends, has long been an advocate for condemning antisemitism. In recent years, he has been an active participant in events and forums for the sake of halting hate speech and raising awareness.
In October 2023, Schwimmer was one of the numerous Hollywood celebrities who signed an open letter to President Joe Biden in which they implored efforts toward the release of Israeli hostages because of a Hamas attack on Israel. Further, in January 2024, he joined over 260 others calling for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to add Jews to its guidelines on representation and inclusion.
David Schwimmer criticized Hollywood stars for staying silent against antisemitism
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Schwimmer recently took to the podium at the Anti-Defamation League’s Never Is Now conference in New York City, where he criticized other celebrities who have chosen to keep quiet on the topic of antisemitism.
He was upset that these individuals, including some who have built their careers by playing Jewish roles or celebrating their own Jewish background, have not said a word in a time when people are becoming increasingly hostile to the Jewish community. He asked them to denounce hate through their platforms, noting that their voice would be a source of solidarity and comfort to victims.
David Schwimmer recently demanded Kanye West’s X account suspension
Weeks ago, he publicly called on Elon Musk to suspend Kanye West’s account on the social media site X following a string of hate-filled, ignorant rants by the rapper. Schwimmer condemned West’s declaration that he was a Nazi and emphasized that such hate speech leads to real violence against Jews.
He implored Musk to take action, quoting the rapper’s massive following and the harm that could be caused by letting him keep spreading hate. This is not West’s first controversy on X; he has been suspended previously for the same reason, leading to collaborations being canceled, especially with brands such as Adidas.