“I can’t watch children die:" Rachel Zegler refuses to stop Palestine support despite work loss

Rachel Zegler, the star of Disney's upcoming Snow White remake, has faced intense scrutiny for her vocal support of Palestine, particularly given her co-star Gal Gadot's ties to Israel. 

Despite the backlash, Zegler remains resolute in her stance, citing a deep sense of humanity as her driving force.

"I can't watch children die," Zegler told Variety. "I don't think that should be a hot take."

Her comments come as the one-year anniversary of Israel's military offensive in Gaza approaches.

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli has killed over 41,000 Palestinian, including 16,456 children and 11,000 women. 

The relentless bombings have also left almost 95,497 people injured.

Zegler's involvement in the controversy began in August when she ended a tweet thanking fans for supporting Snow White with a call to "free Palestine."

The 22-year-old actress acknowledged that her views may not align with those of her co-star, who served in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) before rising to fame.

However, Zegler said that her stance is not driven by religious or political agendas, but rather a desire to raise awareness and support for those affected.

"I'm only responsible for what I feel, and I'm also responsible for how I act upon it," she explained.

“I don’t have the answers. I don’t think any celebrity making a political statement has the answers. But we have the platform to share a donation link to make sure that these people get the money, the care and the aid that they need that people in power aren’t giving them.

"We're nearing one year since the horrendous attacks in Israel on October 7, but I've been following this conflict for so many years. Like so many people, I'm so heartbroken by the loss of life that we're seeing with these insane death tolls coming out of both regions."

Zegler recognises the weight of her influence and is willing to bear the responsibility that comes with it.

"If that means that it can fall upon us to be in power in a way that is helpful, then I'm happy to do it," she said.