Who are the artists speaking out against Israel’s war on Gaza?
Earlier this week, a handful of Western nations recognised Palestine as a state in what is seen as a largely symbolic move intended to “revive the hope of peace and a two-state solution,” as United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer put it.
The gesture comes against the backdrop of a staggering, but undercounted death toll in Gaza, with at least 65,000 people killed, including more than 19,000 children and more than 165,000 people injured, together accounting for more than 10 percent of Gaza’s population.
While governments have made diplomatic statements, voices from the cultural world have also grown louder. For almost as long as the war has continued, musicians, actors, writers and others have been calling for a ceasefire, advocating for Palestinian rights and calling on governments to hold Israel accountable, often facing condemnation and even blacklisting.
As the war has dragged on, more artists are using their unique influence to amplify support for Gaza. Al Jazeera visualises some of the artists who have spoken out and lists the signatories of at least 11 open letters calling to stop the destruction of Gaza and its people.
The faces of solidarity
Last week, British musician Brian Eno held a concert at Wembley Arena in London in support of Palestine. The event brought together musicians and actors including Richard Gere, Paul Weller, Damon Albarn, Portishead, Riz Ahmed and many others to raise funds for charities assisting Palestine.
At the concert, Eno told the New Musical Express (NME), “I hope that culture is upstream of politics. I think it is. So I think the state of mind that culture creates in people encourages or provides within which people can operate and politicians can operate. But, I don’t know that that’s true. It’s an act of faith. It sometimes works. It sometimes doesn’t, and that’s different from writing songs that tell you what to think …”
“We have to do something about it and they’re doing that in the absence of political leadership.”
Some of the earliest voices speaking out include actor Tilda Swinton, one of the first high-profile figures in the UK to call for an immediate ceasefire, supporting petitions and public demonstrations. American actors like John Cusack, Susan Sarandon and Mark Ruffalo have also been vocal, attending protests, wearing badges, and speaking out at public events. Musicians such as former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters, Eurythmics' Annie Lennox and Eno have long advocated for Palestinian rights.
The graphic below highlights just some of those high-profile artists who have spoken out against Israel’s war on Gaza and some of the messages they have voiced over recent events.
Open letters and collective voices
Alongside individual statements, open letters have amplified artists’ voices and strengthened solidarity with broader movements.
These open letters raise awareness, show solidarity and urge action from governments and the public to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Letters such as those signed by Artists for Palestine UK, Artists4Ceasefire and Film Workers for Palestine, Choose Love letter to Keir Starmer, Amnesty’s letter to Keir Starmer, the Cannes open letter, London Review of Books open letter, Writers for Gaza, Musicians for Palestine, Music for a Ceasefire and Israeli documentary filmmakers’ open letter have garnered more than 16,000 signatures.
Al Jazeera analysed these 11 open letters, examining the language they used, the industries they are a part of, and the artists who signed them.
Calling for an end to genocide
Most of these open letters have called for the end of genocide, humanitarian access across Gaza, the end of weapons supplies to Israel, calls for a ceasefire, and compliance with the ICJ’s ruling, which requires Israel to take measures to protect civilians from further harm. Film workers for Palestine have pledged to “not screen films, appear at or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions”.
The word cloud below highlights some of the main words used across these letters.
Support across creative industries
Of the creative industries speaking out the most, those in the music industry have amassed the most signatures, about 7,800, followed by the Film/TV industry with more than 4,500, and the literature and publishing industry with 2,900 signatories.
Some artists signed open letters across several industries.
Which artists have spoken out the most?
Some artists, such as British actor Khalid Abdalla and musician Brian Eno, appear in six of the 11 open letters Al Jazeera analysed, highlighting their consistent support, while actors Lolly Adefope, Maxine Peake, Michael Malarkey, Misan Harriman and producer Tracy Seaward have signed five letters.
Explore the table below to see which artists have signed the open letters, in the case of film and television workers, what they are known for and how many letters each has signed. Many artists have also shared support for Gaza on their own social platforms and at events without signing an open letter. So, while the table below is indicative of support, it isn't exhaustive and should be explored with awareness.
As the war drags on, the number of artists speaking out continues to grow. Their words and collective action are reflecting growing resistance to Israel’s occupation, however, it remains to be seen if they can affect the outcome of the conflict.