Fact Check: Did Daniel Radcliffe say he was ‘fed lies’ about Israel his entire life?
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that actor Daniel Radcliffe criticised Israel, saying that, as a Jew, he was fed lies about the country all his life.
The claim drew backlash against the actor, with many accusing him of antisemitism, while a few others remained skeptical and called for a fact-check of the rumor.
Claim: Daniel Radcliffe slammed Israel
According to a claim circulating on X, the Harry Potter actor said, “As a Jew, I was fed lies about Israel my entire life. They never told me that Palestinians lived there. Israel is absurd and nonsensical, built on ethnic cleansing and ge**cide."
The claim has been shared and amplified by several accounts on X, Facebook, and Instagram, collectively garnering millions of views.
The claim drew conflicting reactions from fans and netizens, with many applauding the 37-year-old actor for speaking for Palestine, while a few others accused him of antisemitism, indicating that many believe the claim to be authentic.
Meanwhile, a few others dismissed the claim as fake and questioned whether the actor really made such a remark.
Fact Check: The quote is falsely attributed to Daniel Radcliffe
The claim, however, is false, as there are no records of the actor making such a remark condemning Israel’s war on Palestine.
There are no official statements, interviews, or social media posts where the actor is heard saying the above-mentioned quote.
If Radcliffe has really made such a remark, it will not go unreported by prominent news and entertainment media outlets, but a search on Google for the claim returned no such media reports.
However, the search revealed that the quote attributed to Radcliffe closely matches statements made by Seth Rogen in a 2020 podcast interview.
“As a Jewish person, I was fed a huge amount of lies about Israel my entire life,” Rogen told the comedian and actor Marc Maron in an episode of Maron’s 'WTF' podcast.
Benjamin Netanyahu faces UN walkout amid war crimes protest
The claim surfaced amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial presence at the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week, amid calls for his arrest over war crimes.
Netanyahu, who is subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes, was met with protest after delegates walked out as he took to the stage.
In response to the walkout, he said, "If there are any other moral cowards who haven't left the hall, please do so now."
