Jewish Actor Mandy Patinkin Condemns Netanyahu, Israel’s ‘Unconscionable’ Military Actions in Gaza

Jewish-American actor Mandy Patinkin castigated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip during a recent interview, likening them to his “Princess Bride” character’s so-called “revenge business.”

Patinkin, 72, made the comments during an episode of The New York Times podcast “The Interview” that was published on July 12. He was a guest on the show — hosted by David Marchese – alongside his wife, playwright and actor Kathryn Grody, and their son, Gideon Grody-Patinkin.

Patinkin starred in the 1987 film “Princess Bride” as Spanish swordsman Inigo Montoya, whose mission throughout the film was to avenge the murder of his father. Montoya repeatedly said to his enemies: “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” Patinkin compared Montoya’s vengefulness to Israel’s actions during the Israel-Hamas war. During his appearance on “The Interview,” Patinkin quoted another of his character’s lines: “I have been in the revenge business so long. Now that it’s over, I do not know what to do with the rest of my life.”

Patinkin also called on Jews all over the world to “consider what this man, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his right-wing government is doing to the Jewish people all over the world.”

“They are endangering not only the State of Israel, which I care deeply about and want to exist, but they are endangering the Jewish population all over the world,” he claimed. Patinkin then called Netanyahu “the most dangerous thing, not just since Oct. 7.”

“To watch what is happening, for the Jewish people, to allow this to happen to children and civilians of all ages in Gaza, for whatever reason, is unconscionable and unthinkable,” he added. “And I ask you Jews, everywhere, all over the world, to spend some time alone and think, is this acceptable and sustainable? How could it be done to you and your ancestors and you turn around and you do it to someone else?”

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Patinkin has supported calls for a ceasefire to end the conflict that started after the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

His strong criticism of Israel has dated back years. In 2021, the actor posted a thread on X/Twitter calling for “liberation in particular for the Palestinian people, who have endured over 50 years of a brutal and dehumanizing occupation by the State of Israel.”

Grody said during the podcast interview that she hates “the way some people are using antisemitism as a claim for anybody that is critical about a certain policy.”

“As far as I am concerned, compassion for every person in Gaza is very Jewish,” said the actress.

“And the fact that I abhor the policies of [Netanyahu] does not mean that I’m a self-hating Jew or I’m antisemitic,” she added. “I feel the behavior, the politics of what he’s doing, is the worst thing for Jewish people. It’s like lighting a candle for anybody that has any antisemitic feelings.” She then got emotional when she said, “I really feel deeply troubled and horrified by what is happening in my name.”

Grody-Patinkin added that he believes Israel is “endangering” Jews around the world “by endangering those in Gaza.”

The family’s comments were criticized by many pro-Israel supporters on social media, who were upset at them for only finding fault with Israel and its Jewish supporters even though the war in Gaza was started by the Hamas terrorist organization and its massacre of Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023.

“Antisemitism is not Netanyahu’s fault,” said activist, author, and social media influencer Hen Mazzig in a post on X. “We cannot blame Jews for the hate and violence we face. It’s the same for any other group of people. You don’t blame the victim, you blame the perpetrator.” He also criticized Patinkin’s comments in an op-ed for The Jewish Chronicle, in which he wrote in part that the actor’s “logic is deeply flawed and dangerous.”

Barry Tigay, a retired psychologist, criticized Patinkin for spreading a “blood libel.”

“Shame on Mandy Patinkin for spreading a blood libel and Holocaust inversion against the Jews, Israel, and Prime Minister Netanyahu. Israel is fighting a just war by just means,” he wrote in a post on X.

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