Rabbi Criticizes Adam Brody's Comments on Gaza

<p>Adam Brody, who stars as Rabbi Noah Roklov in Netflix's "Nobody Wants This," made comments regarding the situation in Gaza that drew criticism from Rabbi Steve Leder, a consultant on the show. In a recent interview with GQ, Brody stated, "Put me down as thinking it's a genocide. Put me down as wanting a free Palestine. It's awful that it's taken so much death and misery, but it does feel like it's reaching a breaking point that it should have a while ago."</p><p>Rabbi Leder, based in Los Angeles, responded to Brody's remarks in a video posted on Instagram, describing them as "flippant." He stated, "The flippancy was adding insult to injury, in my opinion, and needed to be addressed." Leder emphasized that the term "genocide" has a specific definition, which he quoted from the United Nations, indicating that it refers to acts intended to destroy a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.</p><p>Leder clarified that Israel's actions are directed against Hamas and not against any specific nationality, ethnicity, race, or religion. He expressed concern that Brody presented his opinion as fact, stating, "This is where I felt that Adam Brody went terribly wrong. He presented an opinion as a fact. And that is a mistake for any of us who are in the public eye."</p><p>In "Nobody Wants This," Brody plays a rabbi who falls in love with an agnostic woman, a storyline loosely based on the real-life romance of the show's creator, Erin Foster, and her husband, Simon Tikhman.</p><p>Rabbi Leder noted that other Jewish celebrities, including Hannah Einbinder and Ilana Glazer, have also criticized Israel's actions in Gaza. He stated that public figures should clarify when they are expressing opinions rather than facts, saying, "They can say whatever they want as long as they acknowledge it's an opinion and not a fact."</p><p>He also mentioned that Brody's role as a rabbi adds complexity to the situation, making it "doubly heartbreaking" because it influences public perception of Jewish culture. Leder concluded by advising public figures to refrain from discussing topics they are not well-informed about, stating, "If you know nothing about something, you should say nothing."</p>