Macklemore, Florence Pugh, Michael Stipe, Dua Lipa
Photo: Macklemore: Didier Messens, Florence Pugh: Marc Piasecki, Michael Stipe: NOAM GALAI, Dua Lipa: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin. All rights reserved.
As the war between Israel and Hamas continues and the death toll continues to rise, some celebrities have come together to write an open letter calling on President Joe Biden to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Artists4Ceasefire
Signatories of the open letter include Dua Lipa, Michael Stipe, Caroline Polachek, Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh, Miguel, Kaytranada, Macklemore, Cate Blanchett, Joaquin Phoenix, John Cusack and Lena Waithe. Under the name “Artists4Ceasefire,” they and many others wrote the letter and said: “We call on your government and all world leaders to honor all human lives in the Holy Land and to immediately demand and facilitate a ceasefire – an end the bombing of the Gaza Strip and the safe release of the hostages.”
They added: “More than 5,000 people have been killed in the last week and a half – a figure that every person in conscience knows is catastrophic. We believe that all life is sacred, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and we condemn the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians. Half of Gaza’s two million residents are children, and more than two-thirds are refugees and their descendants forced to flee their homes. Humanitarian aid must be able to reach them.”
Finally, the prominent letter authors appeal to humanity and the sense of justice: “In addition to our pain and sadness for the people there and their relatives around the world, we are driven by the unbending will to stand up for our common humanity. We stand for freedom, justice, dignity and peace for all people – and for the fervent desire to prevent further bloodshed.”
The entire letter to Joe Biden including those who signed it can be viewed here can be viewed.