Cynthia Nixon Sparks Fury Over Gaza Support

Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon is facing backlash on social media, following her announcement on Monday that she will be launching a hunger strike as part of a call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

The Gaza territory is currently embroiled in an intense conflict between the Israeli military and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which carried out a historically bloody surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing over 1,200 people, according to the Associated Press.

In addition to the lives taken in the initial attack, Hamas took over 200 hostages, including a number of children, with their ultimate release being one of the primary goals espoused by the Israeli government.

Israeli military's subsequent strikes in Gaza have killed over 13,000, The Associated Press reported. The ongoing conflict has led to a fierce international discourse.

Nixon, who stars in the Sex and the City spinoff And Just Like That..., has added her voice to the celebrities and public figures calling for a ceasefire. On Monday, she joined "prominent Muslim, Jewish and allied leaders, and state legislators from New York and Delaware" at a press conference outside the White House.

At the event, Nixon, who challenged Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic nomination for governor of New York in 2018, announced her participation in a 5-day hunger strike as part of a call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, according to a press release provided to Newsweek.

A temporary ceasefire between Israeli and Hamas forces is currently in place, but the press release argued that "Israel is expected to intensify its genocidal bombing campaign on Gaza once the pause is over," citing a report last week from CNN based on comments made by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The United Nations describes genocide as "a crime committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, in whole or in part." While the press release echoed the beliefs of some in likening the deaths of Gaza civilians to genocide, supporters of Israel have denied claims that the country is carrying out such an action against Palestinians.

As news of Nixon's support for Gaza circulated, a host of social media users expressed their outrage, with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach called her an "ignoramus and antisemite" as he condemned her position on the war.

"Cynthia Nixon, another Hollywood useful idiot," Boteach wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "She invests numbers of casualties in Gaza based not on the Red Cross but on Hamas. She never mentions how many Israelis were murdered or how many are still hostages. She neglects Hamas' promise of a second Holocaust.

"So what is this ignoramus and antisemite famous for and why should we listen to her? For starring in a TV show about causal sex in New York City. Clearly, a great Middle East expert. Few things in life are as embarrassing as Hollywood actors who don't know their limitations and think that celebrity is a substitute for substance."

"In light of your silence regarding the atrocities committed by #HamasTerrorists on October 7, especially rape crimes against women and [young] girls, it is obvious that you are just another antisemite. On Oct 6 there was no war and no bloodshed," another detractor commented.

"Cynthia Nixon is no longer a human being," another chimed in. "It is now impossible for me to watch Sex and The City [or] And Just Like That."

"I hope @CynthiaNixon sticks to her hunger strike," quipped another. "You show those Israelis who's boss. I'm sure the @IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) will rethink its whole war strategy [because] you're an apologist for Hamas."

Newsweek has contacted representatives of Nixon via email for comment.

Amid the social media discussion, a number of X users spoke out in Nixon's defense.

"@CynthiaNixon thank you for your hunger strike action to demand #ceasefireNOW Cynthia. You are an inspiration," wrote one supporter.

"Huge respect for @CynthiaNixon and [author and activist] @sumayaawad and others holding it down in D.C.," said another supporter.

Making reference to Nixon's Sex and the City character Miranda Hobbes, another chimed in: "I have to say @CynthiaNixon on hunger strike for #Palestine isn't something I had on my 2023 bingo card. I've always been a Miranda."

Though Nixon is not Jewish herself, the two children she had with former partner Danny Mozes are—a fact she highlighted in speaking about her decision to undertake a hunger strike on Monday.

"As the mother of Jewish children whose grandparents are Holocaust survivors, I have been asked by my son to use my platform to project as loudly as possible that 'never again' means never again for everyone," Nixon said.

"As an American, I am here to demand that our President [Joe Biden] stop funding the mass killing and starvation of thousands of innocent Palestinians, the majority of whom are children and women.

"President Biden must use this moment to negotiate a permanent ceasefire that will bring all the hostages and political prisoners home and start to lay the foundation for a lasting peace."

Nixon was previously among the over 250 celebrities to sign a letter calling for a Gaza ceasefire. The press release on Monday claimed that the hunger strike initiative had been endorsed by numerous organizations, including the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, the Adalah Justice Project, Jewish Voice for Peace, the IfNotNow Movement, Dream Defenders, the Democratic Socialists of America, the Institute for Middle East Understanding, and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

While Biden, as well as many other U.S. lawmakers, have been broadly supportive of Israel's response to Hamas, he has more recently begun making overtures to those more opposed to the conflict.

Biden has touted American diplomatic efforts that helped broker an agreement for the temporary ceasefire and the release of 50 hostages by Hamas. Over the weekend, The Washington Post also reported that Biden has allegedly expressed regret over his past skepticism of the Palestinian death toll in Gaza, though he has not spoken publicly on the matter.