Earlier this week, a handful of Western nations recognised Palestine as a state in what is seen as a largely symbolic move intended to “revive the hope of peace and a two-state solution,” as United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer put it.
The gesture comes against the backdrop of a staggering, but undercounted death toll in Gaza, with at least 65,000 people killed, including more than 19,000 children and more than 165,000 people injured, together accounting for more than 10 percent of Gaza’s population.
While governments have made diplomatic statements, voices from the cultural world have also grown louder. For almost as long as the war has continued, musicians, actors, writers and others have been calling for a ceasefire, advocating for Palestinian rights and calling on governments to hold Israel accountable, often facing condemnation and even blacklisting.
As the war has dragged on, more artists are using their unique influence to amplify support for Gaza. Al Jazeera visualises some of the artists who have spoken out and lists the signatories of at least 11 open letters calling to stop the destruction of Gaza and its people.
The faces of solidarity
Last week, British musician Brian Eno held a concert at Wembley Arena in London in support of Palestine. The event brought together musicians and actors including Richard Gere, Paul Weller, Damon Albarn, Portishead, Riz Ahmed and many others to raise funds for charities assisting Palestine.
At the concert, Eno told the New Musical Express (NME), “I hope that culture is upstream of politics. I think it is. So I think the state of mind that culture creates in people encourages or provides within which people can operate and politicians can operate. But, I don’t know that that’s true. It’s an act of faith. It sometimes works. It sometimes doesn’t, and that’s different from writing songs that tell you what to think …”
“We have to do something about it and they’re doing that in the absence of political leadership.”
Some of the earliest voices speaking out include actor Tilda Swinton, one of the first high-profile figures in the UK to call for an immediate ceasefire, supporting petitions and public demonstrations. American actors like John Cusack, Susan Sarandon and Mark Ruffalo have also been vocal, attending protests, wearing badges, and speaking out at public events. Musicians such as former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters, Eurythmics’ Annie Lennox and Eno have long advocated for Palestinian rights.
The graphic below highlights just some of those high-profile artists who have spoken out against Israel’s war on Gaza and some of the messages they have voiced over recent events.
