Patricia Heaton at the IAC event
(Video: Oded Sharoni)
When the first images of the October 7 massacre reached Patricia Heaton's phone, she was sitting in her new home in Nashville, deep in the heart of the Bible Belt in the United States. It seemed like an ordinary day, but for her, the world was about to change completely.
"I just assumed that the whole community around me in Nashville – so filled with churches and Christians who love Israel – would express visible outrage. I thought they would have posters of the hostages in front of the church, flying flags or something. I don’t know why I assumed that, but I thought everyone was as shocked as I was and saw the greater implications for Western democracy," Heaton, who has starred in the sitcoms Everbody Loves Raymond and The Middle, recounted with anger still evident in her voice.
However, reality didn't unfold as she had imagined. According to her, fear of being accused of Islamophobia paralyzed many, including those she had considered friends and supporters. It was a moment when she realized that something had to change.
"I saw so many good people who believe in human rights, in individual freedoms, and they were just silent," she told Ynet. "Anyone who supports human rights and freedom must support Israel."
Heaton, 66, has been known as an avid pro-Zionist for years, but the events of October 7 pushed her beyond her private circle of support and led her to establish a new organization – the October 7 Coalition (O7C) –aimed at rallying broad support for Israel among American Christians.
'We can't just sit on the sidelines'
The new organization was born out of a sense of helplessness but quickly turned into a new life mission. She and her partner, Elizabeth Doros, a Christian married to a Jewish man, funded the organization and most of its activities out of their own pockets.
"There’s an urgent feeling that we have to do something," Heaton says. "We can’t just sit on the sidelines and watch from afar while Israel fights for its life. We’re here to remind people what’s at stake – this isn’t just a regional conflict; it’s a battle for freedom and democracy," she said.
The organization’s first action was to publish a public letter from Nashville's Christian community leaders, apologizing for "the historical wrongs done to Jews." Since then, the organization has focused on three main areas.
"First, in education," says Heaton. "It’s important for us to explain the full picture of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to Christian audiences and break the stereotypes that have formed about Israel.
"Second – financial support, including via joint meals and cultural activities, such as the event we held at the Nova exhibition in Los Angeles with Israeli artists who had just been discharged from the IDF, for whom we produced music with Grammy Award-winner Steve Schnur. And third, we’re working to change the media narrative, especially in places like Nashville, where there’s a tendency to ignore the Israeli side of the story."
As part of these efforts, Heaton is a regular guest at pro-Israel events, such as the one recently held by the Israeli Consul General in Los Angeles, Israel Bachar. "Patricia deeply understands that there’s no difference between antisemitism and anti-Zionism," he said.
"On one hand, there’s antisemitic rhetoric and on the other, there are those who want to condemn it but are afraid. She has the courage to stand up and say, 'Don’t be afraid.'"
Heaton's voice stands out, particularly in these times. Her iconic role as Debra in the popular sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, a role that earned her two Emmy Awards and seven additional nominations, granted her enduring fame in the U.S. In 2012 and she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Heaton also starred in another hit series The Middle where she portrayed Frankie for nine seasons. In addition to her acting career, she has been involved in production and won another Emmy for her cooking show on the Food Network in 2015.
During the interview, she wore a necklace shaped like the entire Land of Israel and a yellow hostage pin and she makes sure to wear yellow ribbon pins at every public appearance.
'It’s important to show Jews that they aren't alone'
"It’s my duty. When Jews walk outside, they often see only symbols of hatred against them: keffiyehs, Hamas’s red triangle, people calling for intifada, ‘from the river to the sea’ – everywhere they look. How would a Christian feel if every time they went outside, they saw a defaced or vandalized church or crosses deliberately hung upside down?
"I would feel alone and scared. It’s important to show Jews that they aren't alone, and I wish every Christian would wear a Star of David so that Jews wouldn’t only see signs of hatred outside, but also signs of support and unity," she said.
Heaton says the importance of her new organization comes mainly from its home base in Nashville, Tennessee, which she claims has become a magnet for both the far left and the far right since October 7.
"It’s strange, but they keep showing up together. There are a few very active Palestinian groups with strong sentiment for Hamas and they probably have a plan to infiltrate more Christian areas of America." According to her, antisemitism in the area has taken a new form since October 7, no longer necessarily coming from old white racism, but from pro-Palestinian fringe groups.
This, she says, is especially evident when looking at U.S. campuses. "There’s massive indoctrination, and it’s not coming from far-right groups but from pro-Palestinian groups. The fact they were ready with printed signs by October 8 – it was all planned long in advance, we just didn’t see it coming."
Heaton, who grew up a devout Catholic in Ohio, is acutely aware of the suspicion many Jews feel about the "bear hug" from Evangelical Christians, especially concerning talk about the apocalypse or salvation in the form of conversion or destruction of the Jewish people.
"As far as Elizabeth and I and October 7 Coalition goes, there is no ulterior motive involving the Jewish people. Our connection to Jews isn’t that complicated – there was one Jewish family in the town that I grew up in Ohio, and then one of the daughters and the son were friends of mine when I went to Ohio State University.
"My first best friend I made was a Jewish girl from New York who is still my friend. I'm going to see her in New York tomorrow when I'm there. And then, of course, I've been in the entertainment industry, which is a lot of Jewish people, the two shows that my longest-running TV series, both created by Jewish people, right?
"One of the interesting experiences I had when I first moved to Los Angeles, I was on a treadmill in a gym, and there was an elderly lady on the treadmill next to me, also walking. And I looked over here and she had numbers tattooed on her arm, and it hit me like a gut punch, and it just makes you realize that this history is still with us, and we still have to be vigilant about it.
"And you know that some of the theology that you've just mentioned is Evangelical, or it's like reformed Presbyterian, un-Catholic. We don't have that issue. Now listen, the Catholic Church has had very dark moments in history against Jewish people, for which a variety of popes have written and apologized for."
"There are people who believe, for example, that all Jews need to return to Israel for Jesus to come back, but ultimately, that’s actually a good thing for Jews because it’s the reason that makes Christians defend Israel. But it doesn’t involve the destruction of the Jewish people or anything like that."
Patricia Heaton at the IAC event
(Video: Oded Sharoni)
"Even within the Christian community, like the Jewish community, there are many thoughts on different theological schools, but we’re in a time where we need to put all our differences aside. And that includes every political issue – whether it’s immigration, the economy, elections or abortion."
"Everything needs to be put aside for now because we need to unite to ensure Israel is protected. Because it’s the only democratic country in the Middle East. The only sane country there and it’s crucial that we have that presence for the security of the world. Israel is a beacon of freedom in a region of the world where so much oppression is present."
'Israel has not started this war'
When Heaton passionately talks about protecting individual freedoms and human rights, it’s hard not to wonder about her stance against abortion. Her response on the matter is complex.
"I believe in civil rights absolutely and that’s exactly why I support Israel. But when it comes to abortion, that’s a completely different issue. It has nothing to do with democracy and freedom. People are always struggling with these big issues, like when and how to handle immigration, what’s the best way to manage the economy – but none of these struggles can exist if you don’t have freedom of speech."
And do women not deserve freedom over their bodies?
"Abortion is a sensitive topic that I don’t want to dive into here. Israel is a symbol of freedom and democracy in a dangerous region, and that’s the fact I want to support and strengthen.
"There’s this kind of madness in the world where you can’t say anything against any other group of people except Jews. No one says why are you supporting Ukraine? But they always say, why Israel? Israel has not started this war."
A significant portion of Heaton's criticism is directed toward her colleagues in Hollywood. When I ask about the recent "celeb letter," signed by hundreds of names like Jennifer Lopez and Ariana Grande calling for the U.S. to stop military aid to Israel, Heaton calls them "profoundly naive, that's to give them the benefit of the doubt."
"You're going to give them the benefit of the doubt. I would say they are profoundly naive about what they're dealing with in Hamas. That's that's giving them some grace. I would hate to say that they are all antisemitic, and I don't think they understand what they're participating in. It's extremely Islamic. They're not stupid people, they're intelligent. But I think many actors have an over-emphasis on empathy and they're emotional because that makes them good actors, and they are very in touch with their emotions, and they see things through an emotional lens."
"And so I don't think they can distinguish between just how terrible war is and that there are going to be civilian casualties and what it takes to eliminate an extremely dangerous terrorist, radical terrorist group," she added.
Does that also apply to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who recently said she 'fully supports' halting the delivery of heavy munitions to Israel?
"I think because they have extreme leftists in the Democrat Party who have a lot of power. They're trying to cater a little bit to that group, but they also have quite a large Jewish demographic in the Democratic Party, so they are trying to sort of play this game because it's an election season and so and I also think that the Democrat party today is decidedly much more extreme left."
Heaton decided to endorse the Republican Party but admits she feels politically "homeless," since candidate Donald Trump gained prominence in the party, saying she didn’t vote in the previous elections – a decision she’s still considering for the upcoming November election. "I just don’t like any of the candidates."
Instead, she has other plans: her first visit to the Holy Land, a dream come true for her. "I’ve never been to Israel, but it’s always been in my heart," she shared. "I feel like I have to be there, to experience the place that now fills so much of my life." She doesn’t rule out exploring potential projects in Israel’s entertainment industry.
Maybe 'Everybody Loves Shimon'?
"I can’t promise anything; our industry is very fickle, but that's clearly my goal – to have something that combines my love for Israel with my career."