Producer Avi Arad condemned Sen. Chuck Schumer on Wednesday for urging Israel to have new elections, accusing the Senate leader of trying to “control another democratic country's actions.
“It’s not your war. It is not your country. And it is not you who is in danger,” the former Marvel CEO wrote in a letter obtained exclusively by TheWrap. Arad, producer of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and the “Venom” films, was responding to the New York politician criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for having “lost his way” in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war while speaking on the Senate floor March 14.
In addition to accusing Schumer of interfering in another democracy, the letter also said he is exacerbating antisemitism with his criticism of Israel and his lack of empathy for someone who lives in the country and whose family is actually under terrorist threat.
“To say these are challenging times for Jews would be an understatement,” Arad wrote. “And statements like the one you made only make it worse.”
Arad added that “The Zone of Interest” filmmaker Jonathan Glazer’s controversial Oscars speech is “one thing … But it is quite another to hear harsh criticism of Israel from a United States Senator who is the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in our government and whose constituents constitute one of the largest concentration of Jews in the world.”
“Even worse,” he further noted, “it is disappointing to hear you try to interfere with Israel’s democratic process by suggesting the United States withhold support unless it does as you say.”
The letter went on to detail Hamas’ misinformation campaign and how the terrorist organization “has called for the annihilation of Jews.” Arad urged Schumer to “educate yourself” and “retract and correct your stance.”
Read the letter in full, below:
Dear Senator Schumer,
I am writing about your recent statement last Thursday when you called on Israel to hold new elections, saying you believe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost his way” and is an obstacle to peace in the region amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. I believe your statement is not only incorrect, but inappropriate. It’s not your war. It is not your country. And it is not you who is at risk. And, with all due respect, it is not your place or business to attempt to dictate to another democratic country what its electorate should do or how they should vote.
I am a dual citizen of Israel and the United States. I was born and raised in Israel and moved to the United States in 1969. I proudly served in the Israeli military. And, I am Jewish.
In March of last year, NPR ran a story, “Antisemitic incidents are at an all-time high, the ADL reports.” And it has only gotten worse. CNN reported on Oct. 31, 2023, “The Anti-Defamation League, for example, has catalogued a 400% increase in antisemitic incidents in the U.S. since Oct. 7.” In a subhead on Feb. 13, 2024, Al Jazeera wrote: “Number of American Jews who say they feel less secure in the U.S. has jumped 22% from last year’s survey.”
These are really tough times for Jewish people. And when someone makes a statement like yours, it just makes it even worse. It's bad enough to hear a Hollywood director say something offensive about Jewish people and the Holocaust, but it's even worse when a United States Senator who is one of the most important Jewish elected officials in our government, and who represents a large number of Jewish people, criticizes Israel harshly and tries to interfere with their democratic process.
I wonder what you would say if, God forbid, one or more of your relatives were killed like the Israelis were by Hamas on Oct. 7, or if a member of your family was taken hostage and held in terrible conditions for more than five months, or killed. I wonder if you would take the same stance you did recently, or if you and/or your family lived in Israel and were subjected to unjustified missile strikes and attacks by terrorists.
It seems like you're ignoring the fact that Hamas has called for the total destruction of Jewish people. In an April 2023 sermon, a Hamas official, Hamad Al-Regeb, prayed for the annihilation and paralysis of Jewish people, describing them as filthy animals.
Your comments about the cease-fire make it seem like Israel is the bad guy here. Once again, you're ignoring the facts: The New York Times and others reported on Feb. 27 that Hamas rejected the cease-fire proposal. The New York Times headline read “Hamas Rejects Cease-Fire Proposal, Dashing Biden’s Hopes of Near-Term Deal.”
From what you said, it seems like you either don't understand the situation or don't want to understand it. Some might think that your views are being influenced by threats from Rashida Tlaib and others like her, who are telling their constituents to vote against President Biden. The only way to achieve peace is by learning to live together, and I believe you know this. The Palestinians know it too. They want to be with us, not with Hamas.
The Israelis want peace more than anyone else.
Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) summed it up perfectly in a statement on Oct. 27, 2023: “Hamas’ objective is the slaughter of Jews and the complete destruction of Israel — and to argue otherwise is not only dishonest, it is dangerous and it fuels antisemitism …
Every day, Hamas spreads false information. They exaggerate casualty numbers and make unfounded accusations to damage Israel’s reputation. We need to approach their claims with the same doubt that we would have for claims made by Al-Qaeda or ISIS.
We need to debunk the myths about Hamas. They are not protecting the Palestinian people. Hamas has ruled Gaza brutally and oppressively for years. They instigated this war with no regard for the people of Gaza, the families of Gaza, or the children of Gaza. They hide behind innocent Palestinian civilians and use them as human shields. While civilians in Gaza suffer, Hamas hoards fuel, water, and food, and uses the suffering caused by this war to their advantage. The blood of all those killed in this war, both Palestinians and Israelis, is on Hamas’ hands.
Hamas doesn't want peace. They want Jews and the democratic state of Israel to die. They are fundamentally against a two-state solution, which I believe is the only way to bring peace to this region.
Importantly, Hamas is not a righteous liberation movement as they claim. It is a terrorist organization. We just need to look at Hamas' founding covenant to understand its aim. It claims, and I quote, “There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by jihad.” It states that Hamas' objective is to, and I quote, “fight Jews and kill them.” That genocidal mission is no different than the one outlined in the pages of “Mein Kampf.”
To argue that Hamas' aim is anything other than the killing of Jews and the complete destruction of Israel is not only dishonest, but is dangerous. It fuels the antisemitism the Jews around the world have faced for millennia, especially these past few weeks.
I would ask you to educate yourself, take a page out of Congressman Hoyer’s book, and reconsider and correct your stance.
Sincerely,
Avi Arad
