Twitter users are calling out actor Noah Schnapp for playing a 12-year-old half-Israeli and half-Palestinian boy in the 2019 movie Abe, despite having espoused Zionist views.
Schnapp, who plays Will Byers in the Netflix show, recently faced backlash after sharing posts to social media featuring “Zionism is sexy” stickers. Viewers saw the reference, as well as Schapp’s statements on the Israel-Gaza conflict, as unconditional support for Israel’s siege on the territory.
On Oct. 26, an X user pointed out that Schnapp played the role of a half-Israeli, half-Palestinian boy from Brooklyn who tries to bring together each side of his family through cooking.
“Just found out Noah Schnapp played a half Israeli half Palestinian kid in a movie LMAOOOOOOOOO what a fucking loser using the Palestinian identity when it comes to getting paid but then calling anyone who support Palestine a terrorist,” wrote user @gomezquality, referencing an Oct. 11 post in which the actor called for both sides to “choose humanity over violence.”
On Nov. 13, user @sitcomabed quote tweeted the post with a screenshot of the film’s IMDB page. “I THOUGHT YALL WERE LYING….,” the user wrote.
“okay i watched the trailer and yeah they literally just made it a jewish and muslim family (as if all palestinians are muslim..) , I dont know if they say palestinian by name in the film but they did have a line in the trailer about falafel being colonized by israelis lmao,” @sitcomabed wrote.
I THOUGHT YALL WERE LYING…. https://t.co/QtExmiMrO8 pic.twitter.com/AwtrwRba6v
— ZAYNA🇵🇸 FREE PALESTINE (@sitcomabed) November 13, 2023
User @Bel_Block replied, “I actually watched it. The worst part is it’s not that bad. It’s a childhood perspective of “we must share our table and break bread and embrace whatever solution includes just that” and if I remember correctly they do say Palestine, or at least talk a lot ab occupation –
Another user wrote, “i rmr this film just being crazy to me bc it had Dagmara and Arian, both from Succesion, playing the parents 😭😭 this is even wilder in retrospect.” @MediumSizeMeech echoed the sentiment: And why did they have to drag Succession cast members into it????”
Several users pointed out it might be a bit naive to think sharing cuisine can solve global conflict. As one user said, “through cooking is wild.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Schnapp via representative for comment.