Sarah Silverman Is Coming Under Fire

Sarah Silverman is being slammed on social media for her Instagram post about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In an Instagram Story shared with her 2 million followers on October 18, the Jewish comedian reposted a statement by user @elianaeatz.

"Many are saying that it's inhumane that Israel is cutting off water/electricity to Gaza," the post reads. Israel made it pretty simple—'release the hostages and we will turn it back on.' Instead of pleading with Hamas to release civilian hostages which include babies and toddlers there are politicians (cough cough AOC [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]) calling Israel inhumane.

"If that isn't enough for you: Israel does not need to supply Gaza with these resources (which they do, for free). If Hamas didn't spend billions of dollars on terrorism they would be able to build the infrastructure to support themselves."

Newsweek has reached out to Sarah Silverman for comment via email.

The post caused uproar online, with X user Polly Tickal calling the 52-year-old "a genocidal maniac supporting starving Palestinian civilians by depriving them of water and electricity."

"We've officially reached the 'they actually don't deserve water and electricity' moment in mainstream discourse," commented Keyvan.

"Amazing for Sarah Silverman to sit in her mansion built on incompetent third-rate joke-telling and tell 2 million people that they don't deserve food and water," said Heidi N. Moore.

"I wonder if Sarah Silverman has the character to some day realize the absolute depravity of being okay with deliberately killing babies and children with thirst. How can a person ever come back from that?" wrote Hank Thompson.

"To Sarah Silverman and the other d******** using 'Hamas should release the hostages' as a means of hand-waving away war crimes: Yes! Of course they f****** should! That still isn't justification for the slaughter of 3000+ innocent civilians who have taken: zero hostages," said Fancy Brenda.

After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, the government cut off food, water, electricity and fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip. On October 12, the Israeli government said it wouldn't reverse that until Hamas freed the 200 hostages taken during the conflict.

However, on October 16 Israel and the U.S. agreed to create a plan that to allow Palestinian citizens to receive humanitarian aid, with President Joe Biden visiting the country on October 18. The Gaza Strip is home to more than 2 million people, many of whom have been displaced by the fighting, and people are running low on fuel and water.

When news of the attacks broke, Silverman posted to X to condemn Hamas and share support for her sister and nephews in Israel.

"It's such a complex situation," she said. "But make no mistake - Hamas is a terrorist organization whose main goal is to kill all the Jews. This world breaks my heart."

On October 11, the actress left the Democratic Socialists of America organization after a decade of membership, after the group pledged its support to Palestinians.

"The DSA of which I was a proud lifetime member, has lost me forever,' she posted to Instagram, calling the organization an "arrogant, ignorant, piece of s*** group."

In the past, Silverman has described herself as a Jewish agnostic. During an appearance with her sister, Susan Silverman—a former rabbi—at Boston University in 2012, the Saturday Night Live star said: "I don't have religion personally, but I'm Jewish in that it's in my bones.

"I'm not an atheist; I'm an agnostic because I just have no idea. I think there's so much magic in the world that I can't explain."