Renowned actress Patricia Heaton has issued a clarion call to Christians across the United States, urging them to take a stand against the rising tide of antisemitism sweeping the nation.
Heaton, best known for her roles in "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "The Middle," is advocating for a nationwide mobilization to break the silence and take decisive action against this alarming trend.
According to Fox News, Heaton expressed her shock and dismay at the lack of response from the Christian community to the brutal acts of violence perpetrated by Hamas. "You could see that body cam footage from Hamas where they were gleefully murdering people, and I was astonished and horrified, and then I looked around, assuming that the churches would also be horrified and outraged, and I wasn't hearing anything. It was like crickets," she shared with Fox News' Brian Kilmeade.
Heaton took to social media to challenge her followers, asking, "If you had been a German during World War II, don't you hope that you would have been a German who stood by your Jewish neighbors and hid your Jewish neighbors? Well, today is your opportunity, and I still believe that."
Heaton is one of the founding members of the October 7 Coalition, an alliance of Christians vocally opposing the surge of antisemitism in the U.S. This surge has been particularly noticeable since the Hamas-led attacks on Israeli residential areas last October, which plunged the region into a state of ongoing conflict.
In collaboration with the nonprofit organization JewBelong, the October 7 Coalition is launching a campaign featuring pink and white billboards with messages condemning hate. These billboards, which bear messages such as "Jewish students deserve to be safe on campus" and "You don't have to be a Jew to protect Jews," are set to appear across the country.
Archie Gottesman, founder of JewBelong, echoed Heaton's sentiments, noting the silence of many Jews since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict. "Those of us who are [speaking out] have been feeling very, very alone," Gottesman told Kilmeade. "The Jews are only 2% of the entire country, so even if all of them spoke out, it's not enough. We need allies."
This call to action comes in the wake of numerous reported incidents of hate at educational institutions nationwide, and hate crimes targeting Jewish-owned businesses. From a New York deli defaced with a swastika to a retired pastor caught drawing the symbol on his Jewish neighbor's groceries, the evidence of antisemitism is clear and disturbing.
In a particularly shocking incident, a special needs Jewish student in Las Vegas returned home with a swastika etched into his back, an act that has sparked legal action and public outrage.
Heaton, speaking on Saturday's broadcast, emphasized the responsibility of Christians to act. "Maybe back in 1939, people didn't know what was going on. We know what's going on, and it is up to us as Christians to do something about it," she said. "The Jewish people are feeling very, very alone and they need to know we will stand by them."
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