Dozens of actors, comedians and executives in the Hollywood entertainment industry on Monday signed an open letter to US President Joe Biden, thanking him for his efforts in releasing two of the American hostages and two elderly Israeli from Gaza, but calling for the release of all of the hostages held by the Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
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The letter, which according to "Variety" launches an official campaign called "Don't Leave the Kidnapped Behind", is signed by Madonna, Amy Schumer, Chris Rock, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Bradley Cooper, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gwyneth Paltrow, Adam and Jackie Sandler, Ben Stiller, Courteney Cox, Ewan McGregor, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Hamm, Lena Del Rey, Madonna, Mila Kunis, Olivia Wilde, Orlando Bloom, Sting, Regina Spektor, Aaron Sorkin, Eugene Levy, Adam Levin and his model wife Hattie Prinsloo and dozens more.
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Justin Timberlake, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bradley Cooper all signed the Hollywood letter calling for the release of all the hostages
(Photos: Nathan Howard/AP)
"Dear President Biden," they wrote in the letter, "We are heartened by Friday’s release of the two American hostages, Judith Ranaan and her daughter Natalie Ranaan and by today’s release of two Israelis, Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, whose husbands remain in captivity. But our relief is tempered by our overwhelming concern that 220 innocent people, including 30 children, remain captive by terrorists, threatened with torture and death. They were taken by Hamas in the savage massacre of October 7, where over 1,400 Israelis were slaughtered - women raped, families burned alive, and infants beheaded."
The letter continues: "Thank you for your unshakable moral conviction, leadership, and support for the Jewish people, who have been terrorized by Hamas since the group’s founding over 35 years ago, and for the Palestinians, who have also been terrorized, oppressed, and victimized by Hamas for the last 17 years that the group has been governing Gaza. We all want the same thing: Freedom for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace. Freedom from the brutal violence spread by Hamas. And most urgently, in this moment, freedom for the hostages.
"We urge everyone to not rest until all hostages are released. No hostage can be left behind. Whether American, Argentinian, Australian, Azerbaijani, Brazilian, British, Canadian, Chilean, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Eritrean, Filipino, French, German, Indian, Israeli, Italian, Kazakh, Mexican, Panamanian, Paraguayan, Peruvian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, South African, Spanish, Sri Lankan, Thai, Ukrainian, Uzbekistani or otherwise, we need to bring them home."