Susan Sarandon apologizes for comments about Jews at meeting

Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon apologized Friday for saying at a pro-Palestinian rally last month that people who now fear being Jewish “got a taste of what it feels like to be Muslim in this country, which is so is often subjected to violence.”

The comments sparked widespread criticism and shortly afterwards her agency, United Talent Agency, announced it had been dropped her as a client.

In a rack Posting on Instagram Friday evening, Sarandon said she had tried to convey her concern about rising hate crimes. “This formulation was a terrible mistake,” she said, “because it implies that Jews were ignorant of persecution until recently, when the opposite is true.”

“As we all know, from centuries of oppression and genocide in Europe to the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, PA,” she said, referring to the synagogue shooting that left 11 people dead and six others injured in the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in American history. “Jews have long been familiar with discrimination and religious violence, which continues to this day.”

“I deeply regret trivializing this reality and hurting people with this comment,” she said of her comments at the Nov. 17 meeting. “My intention was to show solidarity in the fight against all forms of intolerance, and I am sorry that I did not do that.”

Anti-Semitic incidents and Islamophobic attacks have skyrocketed in New York City, on campuses and online since the war between Israel and Hamas began.

Sarandon, 77, has long been an outspoken activist for progressive and left-wing causes, sometimes clashing with more moderate liberals in Hollywood, while fostering a prolific career with iconic roles in ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ ‘Bull Durham’ and ‘Thelma and Louise.” More recently, she appeared in the Showtime series “Ray Donovan” and the DC Comics film “Blue Beetle,” which was released in August.