No. 19: Jerry Seinfeld, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Steven Spielberg: Hollywood heavyweights

While so many Hollywood Jews have been silent, Seinfeld has spoken up with his trademark sense of humor as hecklers approach him and disrupt his shows because of his outspoken support for Israel since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacres in Israel.

In June, as Seinfeld left Madison Square Garden after an NBA playoff game, an anti-Israel influencer pushed a microphone at him, saying, “What up, Seinfeld? What up? Can we get a ‘Free Palestine’?”

Seinfeld responded, “Ha-ha. It doesn’t exist,” and walked away. In February 2025, he said, “I don’t care about Palestine,” after he was approached by an activist outside Radio City Music Hall.

But while Seinfeld may be known for snark, he knows when to be sincere. A few days after the October 7 atrocities, he posted on his social media, mourning the deaths in the terror attacks, writing, “I will always stand by Israel and the Jewish people.”

His words were strong, but he followed them up with actions. In December 2023, he visited Israel, touring the area targeted by Hamas, meeting with survivors of the massacres, and visiting Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, where he met with hostage families.

During the visit, he said he was “proud to be an ambassador for spreading the truth throughout the world.” Later, he described the visit as “the most powerful experience of my life. Yes, definitely,” in a podcast interview with journalist Bari Weiss.

Paltrow, who grew up in an interfaith Jewish-Christian family and who won a Best Actress Oscar for Shakespeare in Love, starred in a commercial for a Herzliya luxury housing development, 51 Park, a few months ago. In the commercial, she awakens in a sunny New York apartment and goes for a run in Central Park, talking about how iconic buildings are so often next to wonderful parks. As she leaves her building, she tells a driver to take her to 51 Park, which she clarifies is in Herzliya, not New York.

After the commercial aired, her participation unleashed a torrent of online abuse, with haters calling her “Gwynicide” and criticizing her for supporting an Israeli business venture. But they should not have been surprised.

The actress has posted in support of Israel repeatedly since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, expressing concern for the hostages and questioning why international women’s organizations remained silent about sexual violence committed by Hamas. Paltrow chose not to respond to the furor over 51 Park, which may have been the best response to such hate.

The much-anticipated movie told an imaginative story of extraterrestrials who contact a TV weather reporter, with a message of tolerance and hope that is characteristic of his work. It was number one at the box office on its opening weekend, and received mostly positive reviews from critics who felt it showed that he still knew how to deliver thrills and suspense, while telling a story with a strong emotional core.

Spielberg, who will turn 80 in December, remains one of the busiest creators in Hollywood, with two upcoming movies as director and 17 projects that he is producing.

The filmmaker is not active on social media and rarely comments explicitly on politics. But in 2024, at an event marking the 30th anniversary of the USC Shoah Foundation, which he founded, he said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. I am increasingly alarmed that we may be condemned to repeat history – to once again have to fight for the very right to be Jewish.”