October 7th and Israel’s War Against Hamas
In the early hours of October 7th, 2023, on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 Israelis, kidnapping more than 230 to Gaza, and destroying entire communities. Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) immediately jumped into action to leverage the power of the entertainment industry to combat Hamas propaganda and advocate for the victims.
Galvanizing the Entertainment Industry
Just five days after the Hamas massacre, we released an open letter signed by more than 2,000 leaders from the entertainment industry. Signatories called on their peers to speak out forcefully against Hamas, to support Israel, to refrain from sharing misinformation about the war, and to do whatever is in their power to secure the return of the innocent hostages to their families. The letter was picked up by hundreds of press outlets.
Our press release featured exclusive quotes from notables such as Gal Gadot and Haim Saban and the letter was signed by entertainment heavyweights such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Mark Hamill, Chris Pine, Mayim Bialik, Liev Schreiber, Amy Schumer, Michael Douglas, Billy Porter, Jerry Seinfeld, Helen Mirren, and Debra Messing, among others.
Advocating for the Hostages
We followed up our open letter with a social media campaign in which 229+ celebrities and influencers each shared a photo of one of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, galvanizing support for the hostages and their families and ramping up pressure for their release. The posts were shared by individuals with a combined following of more than 183,591,644 on Instagram alone.
Participants included Amy Schumer, Debra Messing, Julianna Marguiles, Michael Douglas, Billy Crystal, Mayim Bialik, Mandy Moore, Chelsea Handler, Sharon Osbourne, Zooey Deschanel, Elizabeth Banks, Jerry O’Connell, Joshua Malina, Alyssa Milano, Phil Rosenthal, Dr. Phil, Dean Cain, Josh Peck, Juliette Lewis, Howie Mandel, Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz Beckham, Helen Mirren, Jamie Lee Curtis, and many others.
Supporting Victims of Sexual Assault
In light of the shocking silence regarding the extensively researched and corroborated acts of sexual violence committed by Hamas terrorists on October 7th, CCFP joined forces with the Hostages & Missing Persons Family Forum to release a powerful video exposing the unimaginable violence and torture inflicted upon women and girls during the attack.
The video features messages from notable entertainment figures Mayim Bialik, Ginnifer Goodwin, Patricia Heaton, Sheryl Sandberg, and Kathy Ireland, and has been viewed millions of times across various social media platforms, and is one of the most viewed posts on the Family Forum’s Instagram account.
Bearing Witness
In Los Angeles, Creative Community For Peace hosted a private screening of the IDF’s footage of the October 7th massacre for entertainment, business, and political leaders, showing them the brutal reality of the attack.
We also held multiple private gatherings for entertainment industry leaders to hear directly from the families of the hostages held in Gaza. We engaged hundreds of entertainment industry members, and attendees at these sessions included artists such as the band Haim, notable sports figures such as Emmanuel Acho, and commentators such as Van Jones.
In Israel, we arranged a tour for actors Debra Messing and Brett Gelman, who met with survivors, soldiers, and Israeli leaders, in addition to visiting the southern communities that were devastated in the Hamas assault. Solidarity visits like these are crucial for fortifying Israel’s morale and showing the world the truth of what is happening.
Informing the Entertainment Industry
To keep the entertainment industry up to date on the latest developments in the ongoing war, CCFP sends out detailed daily briefings to over 750 industry leaders. These briefings are sent to some of the biggest influencers in entertainment and are shared widely within the entertainment community. Stay up to date on our blog.