Noah Schnapp, star of Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” posted an apology video in response to the severe backlash he received over a video of him and friends sporting pro-Israel paraphernalia.
In the original video from November 2023, Schnapp films himself with peers happily holding stickers that say “Zionism is sexy” and “Hamas is ISIS.” Schnapp is of Jewish descent.
Noah Schnapp engaging with signs that read “Zionism is sexy” in new video. pic.twitter.com/R0lAjMiQ6T
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) November 13, 2023
Schanpp, 19, outlines in the milquetoast apology video posted to TikTok that his beliefs have been misconstrued on the internet and that he in no way supports the murder of innocent lives, especially those of women and children. He also said that, in conversation with his friends of Palestinian descent, he realized that both sides want the same outcome of peace and he hopes for a future where Israel and Palestine can “live harmoniously with each other.”
“I hope, for 2024 online, to see people be more compassionate and understanding and recognize that we’re all human regardless of our race, our ethnicity, our background, our country of birth, even our sexuality,” said Schnapp in the video.
While it is clear that the vagueness of Schnapp’s video connotes an unchanged stance, the apology comes as “Stranger Things” Season 5 begins production, its release date expected to be in late 2025 or early 2026.
Schnapp has previously posted about his faith before. In a now-deleted Instagram post from October 2023, Schnapp shared paragraphs on his pro-Israel stance, saying “You either stand with Israel or you stand with terrorism. It shouldn’t be a difficult choice. Shame on you.”
While the ongoing efforts to silence Schnapp and other Israeli supporters persist,, Hamas continues to regularly post disturbing videos of their continued torture of hostages. In a twisted game-like format, Hamas asked viewers to choose a fate for three hostages, the choices being “all three are killed; “some are killed, some are injured,” or all three are “still alive.” Hamas later revealed that two of the hostages were murdered, with the third being forced to say that they were killed by IDF airstrikes.
Schnapp is just one of many celebrities and corporations that have received immense backlash due to actions and sentiments that expressed anti-Hamas attitudes and gone on to issue vague apology statements. Starbucks and McDonald's are facing similar scrutiny in the form of boycotts due to alleged support for Israel.
The chronically online are celebrating Schnapp’s “downfall” and are calling to boycott “Stranger Things” when its fifth season comes out...in solidarity with Palestine.
he deserves to get completely blacklisted in the industry for supporting the brutal killings of thousands of people including women and children. brett gelman also deserves this same fate. we don't forget. the people of palestine won't forget
— MAYA SMILED AT ME / pjo spoilers (@jodieshvwke) January 16, 2024
Despite Schnapp being a lead on Stranger Things, Netflix has not backed the star of their highest-grossing series of all time. In the wake of widespread calls on social media to avoid viewing the series’ final season, the streaming service has remained silent on the matter of Schnapp and his beliefs.
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