Tom Morello Calls for Condemnation of Violence Against Children, Regardless of Identity, After Jamie Lee Curtis Deletes Palestinian Photo
Tom Morello, the guitarist of Rage Against The Machine, has spoken out against the harm inflicted on children in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. He made his statement after actress Jamie Lee Curtis deleted a photo of Palestinian children fleeing from Gaza that she mistakenly thought was from Israel.
Curtis posted the photo on Instagram with the caption “Terror in the skies” and an Israeli flag emoji, expressing her support for Israel after Hamas launched rockets at the country over the weekend. However, the photo was actually taken by a Gaza-based photojournalist, Samar Abu Elouf, who documented the plight of Palestinian families seeking refuge in UNRWA schools inside Gaza City.
The actress faced backlash for her post and deleted it shortly after. Journalist Muhammad Shehada tweeted: “Cognitive Dissonance: Jamie Lee Curtis was deeply moved by this picture ONLY when she thought they were Israeli. As soon as she learned they were Gazan, she lost all feelings for them & deleted the picture. Suddenly, ‘terror from the sky’ became acceptable to her & her likes!”
Morello shared Shehada’s tweet and wrote: “I’d like to make the radical proposal that the harming of children, no matter who they are & no matter who does it, is always wrong and should be condemned.” He also added: “Similarly, WAR CRIMES committed by any person, any organization or any government (yours, mine, friend or foe) must be denounced and the responsible parties held accountable.”
The conflict between Israel and Palestine has escalated in recent days, with both sides launching attacks that have killed and injured thousands of people. According to BBC News, more than 1,200 people have died and 2,900 others have been wounded in Israel since Saturday (October 7), while at least 1,055 people have been killed and another 5,184 have been wounded in Palestine. Sixty percent of the injured in Gaza are children and women.
On Monday (October 9), Israeli music festival goers were killed following a Palestinian rocket attack on Southern Israel. The attack came after Israel bombed several buildings in Gaza, including a high-rise that housed media outlets such as Al Jazeera and The Associated Press.
The international community has called for an immediate ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the conflict. However, both Israel and Hamas have rejected the calls and vowed to continue their fight. The United Nations has warned of a humanitarian crisis and a potential war crime in Gaza, where more than two million people live under a blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt.