Comedian and actor Michael Rapaport unleashed a fiery tirade this week after dozens of Hollywood celebrities signed a petition demanding the release of convicted Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti. Rapaport accused the entertainers of glorifying a “murderous jihadist” and ignoring the victims of his crimes.
Barghouti, a senior figure in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Fatah party, was convicted by an Israeli court in 2004 of five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. He played a key role in orchestrating terrorist attacks during the Second Intifada, including a deadly bombing at a seafood market and another at a Tel Aviv disco that killed dozens of civilians, including children.
Despite his record, a letter circulated by the “Free Marwan” campaign claims Barghouti is being “violently mistreated” in prison and urges the United Nations and world governments to push for his release, calling him “Palestine’s Mandela.”
The letter drew high-profile support from figures including Sting, Paul Simon, Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Sir Ian McKellen, Annie Lennox, and Stephen Fry. Billionaire Richard Branson also added his name.
Rapaport, speaking on his I Am Rapaport podcast, did not hold back. “This guy is an animal. A murderer. And now you’ve got celebrities lining up to treat him like he’s Nelson Mandela?” he said. “Richard Branson, Sting, Mark Ruffalo — are you serious?”
He slammed actor Alan Cummings in particular, pointing out that while Cummings chaired the Tel Aviv Pride Parade, he avoided Palestinian areas where, Rapaport noted, LGBTQ rights are nonexistent. “You didn’t go to Ramallah or Jenin, did you? Because they don’t have gay pride in Palestine.”
Rapaport criticized celebrities for ignoring wrongly convicted Americans while rallying behind a known terrorist. “This is about Jews,” he said bluntly, accusing the signers of embracing an anti-Israel agenda under the guise of human rights advocacy.
“People love scumbags,” Rapaport concluded. “Your guy’s not getting out. He’s a dog, a murderer, and he belongs in prison.”
