Donny Deutsch Implores Companies, Celebrities to Denounce Antisemitism: 'Silence Isn't Leading' (Exclusive)

In the wake of the devastation that Hamas terrorists have inflicted on Israel, the MSNBC regular says “when it comes to the Jews, when it comes to Israel, there's a lot more silence than there should be”

Donny Deutsch wants more people, especially those with public platforms, to speak out against antisemitism.

“If you have a platform and there's something important going on, I do think people have a responsibility,” the MSNBC regular and host of On Brand with Donny Deutsch tells PEOPLE.

“This is not necessarily about an escalation or retaliation or about a two-state solution or about [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu. This is just about the slaughtering and killing of Jews, and that's what Hamas' mission statement is,” he says. ”I think you should be able to speak up very clearly and unabashedly and condemn this. Period.”

Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 by land, sea and air via paragliders, in addition to approximately 2,200 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip that were heard over Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and in southern Israel. The attack resulted in the death of more than 1,300 Israelis, with thousands more injured, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Related: Israeli Father Shares Ordeal from Inside Bomb Shelter with Son, 12, Who Has Serious Heart Condition (Exclusive)

Deutsch, who is Jewish, notes that hate is something Jewish people are feeling in the United States, too. "It's not just over there," he says. "By not condemning it over there, we are allowing it here.”

With younger generations relying almost exclusively on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) for their news, Deutsch worries about antisemitism’s ability to run rampant and unchecked.

“Where are all the athletes? Where are all the musicians? Where are the performers? Where’s Broadway? Where is the television industry, movie industry?” he asks. “This lack of outspokenness, this lack of outrage hits all tentacles of entertainment.”

Duetsch recognizes that a fear of backlash and a lack of understanding in people, whether they be celebrities or CEOs, may be what stops them from speaking up at all. Still, he finds the silence "deafening and unacceptable."

“The cultural leaders, celebrities, corporate leaders, political leaders, academic leaders — the people who are the voices of who we are, that's what leaders do, "he says. "They lead in difficult times, and silence is not leading.”

Related: Israeli Music Festival Survivor, 25, Shares Horror as Hamas Attack Began: 'I Was Prepared to Die' (Exclusive)

Ultimately, the conflict is nuanced. So, while Deutsch speaks out against virulent antisemitism both at home and abroad, he stresses that “two things can be true at once.”

“My heart goes out to all sides in this conflict,” he says, adding, “You can say, ‘They are complex issues, and I certainly can empathize with all sides, and I don't understand those issues, but I do understand that the mass slaughter of women and children and elderly people and innocent people simply because they're Jewish is a problem.'”

He continues of those also suffering in Palestine: “You can be incredibly sensitive to the plight of the Palestinians and all oppressed peoples, and still come out and unequivocally condemn the outright slaughter of babies by a terrorist organization whose whole mission statement is to kill Jews all over the planet."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.