Ramy Youssef advocates for peace in war-torn Gaza on 'SNL' stage: 'Please stop the suffering'
Actor and comedian Ramy Youssef used his "Saturday Night Live" monologue to call for free Palestinians and to end the months-long violence raging in the Middle East.
The actor, recognized for his starring role on the Netflix comedy series Ramy, took to the stage where he discussed his friends' requests that he pray for them. One of those prayers was reserved for his friend Ahmad's family.
"I’m like, ‘God, please, please help Ahmed’s family. Please stop the suffering. Stop the violence. Please free the people of Palestine, please. And please free the hostages, all the hostages, please," he said.
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Youssef, like others in Hollywood, has been outspokenly supportive of a ceasefire in war-torn Gaza since Hamas militants, last October, launched unprecedented attacks on Israeli civilian areas, killing over a thousand – often in reportedly brutal fashion – and taking others hostage.
Some were later freed, others died in captivity and others remain in Gaza.
Youssef, speaking on the subject to Variety Magazine on the red carpet previously, emphasized that ceasefire call, saying, "It’s a universal message of, ‘Let’s stop killing kids. Let’s not be part of more war.’ No one has ever looked back at war and thought a bombing campaign was a good idea. To be surrounded by so many artists who are willing to lend their voices, the list is growing."
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Other Hollywood personalities like Joaquin Phoenix, Susan Sarandon, John Cusack, and Cate Blanchett also called for an end to violence.
Stars like Jerry Seinfeld, "Stranger Things" actor Noah Schnapp, Natalie Portman, Mark Hamill and others voiced support for Israel following the Hamas attacks.
Conflict in the Middle East also spawned concerns of upticks in antisemitism across the U.S. – as evidenced by a number of Jewish businesses that have been defaced in the subsequent months and Jewish college students who say they feel unsafe on campus.
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The conflict even spawned congressional investigations, putting the actions of major university leaders in the crosshairs of lawmakers who speculated they weren't doing enough to prevent or stifle antisemitism on their campuses.
Since the dawn of the Israel-Hamas conflict, it's estimated Gaza's death toll exceeds 30,000, with the number largely considered a mixture of military members and civilians.