Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp has sparked debate after sharing “Zionism is sexy” sticks amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
The actor, who plays Will Byers in the hit Netflix series, has faced a growing backlash in some quarters recently over his vocal support of Israel
Schnapp, who is Jewish, shared a lengthy post in the wake of Palestinian militant group Hamas’s largest-ever attack on Israel, which killed more than 1,300 people in October.
While the actor said that Hamas “don’t represent the Palestinian people”, he also stated: “You either stand with Israel or you stand with terrorism. It shouldn’t be a difficult choice. Shame on you.”
Schnapp comments were viewed as inadvertent support of Israel’s “total siege” on Gaza.
Rights groups warned that the move could be classed as a war crime if carried out, with more than a million people fleeing their homes amid dwindling water supplies and collapse of hospitals.
In new footage, shared on Sunday (12 November), Schnapp can be seen sitting among people who are handing out stickers reading “Zionism is sexy”.
Noah Schnapp as Will Byers in ‘Stranger Things’
(Netflix)
The video, which sees Schnapp smiling alongside his friends as they laughingly pose with the stickers, was branded by some as “disgusting” as well as “sick and twisted”, with many urging a boycott of Stranger Things when it returns for its final season in 2024.
“The levels of evil this is,” an additional person wrote, adding: “Having all those resources to learn about the occupation, thousands of people literally pointing him to that direction, and this is what he answers with.”
Another stated: “Damn killing innocent civilians is sexy. Stripping off people from basic necessities is sexy. Being the reason why people are displaced from their homes is sexy.”
The Independent has contacted Schnapp for comment.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
