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Actress Debra Messing, Writer Lee Kern Among Latest Celebrities Visiting Israel to Show Solidarity Amid Hamas War
Debra Messing during the Will & Grace 25th Anniversary Celebration at The Paley Center for Media in New York NY on June 5, 2023. Photo: Usphotography/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
American actress Debra Messing and British writer-comedian Lee Kern have joined a slew of Hollywood celebrities who are visiting Israel this week to view first-hand the atrocities that unfolded on Oct. 7 during Hamas’ deadly rampage in the country and to meet with families affected by the massacre.
On Tuesday, Messing and the Oscar-nominated writer visited and went inside a tunnel in the Gaza Strip that has been used by Hamas terrorists to infiltrate Israel. They also met with Israeli soldiers to thank them for protecting Israel and gave them words of encouragement.
“Spent the morning in Gaza exploring a Hamas terror tunnel that [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar has been in,” Kern wrote in a post on X/Twitter that included a photo of himself inside the tunnel. “It’s insane. You don’t build kilometres, spend millions, take years doing the most tedious work unless you REALLY want to kill Jews. This war is all about the racist intent of Hamas.”
Messing additionally shared on her Instagram Story on Wednesday that she met and spoke with Ofelia Roitman, a 77-year-old from Argentina who was among the hostages released by Hamas. The former Will & Grace star also had a sit-down meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife, First Lady Michal Herzog.
Messing told them, “As soon as Oct. 7 happened, it just felt like I had to be here. I had to show everyone here that you’re not forgotten, that we care, and that we are working day and night to get the hostages out in any way that we can.” Hamas kidnapped 240 people during its invasion of southern Israel, in addition to murdering 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Messing additionally said it’s “unconscionable” how women’s rights groups, feminist organizations, and human rights groups have been silent about the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, which included rampant sexual violence against Israeli women and girls.
Others from Hollywood who are in Israel this week include record executive Scooter Braun, and actors Brett Gelman, Jerry Seinfeld, Michael Rapaport, and Gregg Sulkin. Several of them were photographed wearing the symbolic “Bring them home” dog tag around their necks, which draw attention to the campaign pushing for the release of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7.
On Wednesday, Sulkin shared on Instagram a photo of him praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. In the caption, the British actor talked about hoping for peace in the region.
“Returning to the Western Wall, years after my Bar Mitzvah, I felt a profound connection to my heritage,” he said. “Standing here, I am reminded of the enduring spirit and resilience of the Jewish people. In the shadow of these ancient stones, I reflect on our everlasting prayers for peace. Proud of my roots, humbled by our history, and committed to a future where peace reigns supreme.”
Seinfeld and his family this week met family members of civilians still held hostage by Hamas as well as hostages who returned home from captivity.
“Seinfeld told the families that he feels a deep commitment to raising awareness around the world about the issue of the hostages, whose lives are in immediate danger,” according to the Bring Them Home Now campaign. “Hearing the stories, Seinfeld and his family were very moved, and it was evident that they were deeply affected by the experiences they heard from the family members and the released hostages.”
The former Seinfeld star also visited the Sheba Medical Center to talk with those wounded in the Oct. 7 attack.
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Brooklyn Nets Select Israeli Basketball Players Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf in NBA Draft
The opening tip between the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 13, 2020. Photo: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
In a landmark night for Israeli basketball, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, marking the first time two Israeli players have been drafted in the same year.
Saraf, a 19-year-old guard known for his explosive athleticism and creative playmaking, was taken with the 26th pick. A standout with Maccabi Rishon LeZion and a rising star on Israel’s youth national teams, Saraf gained international attention with his electrifying scoring and commanding court presence.
With the 27th pick, the Nets selected 7-foot center Danny Wolf out of the University of Michigan. Wolf, who holds dual US-Israeli citizenship and represented Israel at the U-20 level, brings a versatile skill set, including sharp passing, perimeter shooting, and a strong feel for the game. After his name was called, Wolf grew emotional in an on-air interview, crediting his family for helping him reach the moment.
“I have the two greatest brothers in the world; I have an unbelievable sister who I love,” Wolf said. “They all helped me get to where I am today, and they’re going to help me get to where I am going to go in this league.”
The historic double-pick adds to the growing wave of Israeli presence on the NBA stage, led by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who just completed a breakout 2024–25 season. After being traded to Portland last summer, Avdija thrived as a starter, averaging 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. In March alone, he posted 23.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, including two triple-doubles.
“I don’t think I’ve played like this before … I knew I had it in me. But I’m not really thinking about it. I’m just playing. I’m just free,” Avdija told reporters in March
With Saraf and Wolf joining Avdija, Israel’s basketball pipeline has reached unprecedented visibility. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the moment “a national celebration for sports and youth,” and Israeli sports commentators widely hailed the night as “historic.”
Both Saraf and Wolf are expected to suit up for the Nets’ Summer League team in July. As the two rookies begin their NBA journey, they join a growing generation of Israeli athletes proving that their game belongs on basketball’s biggest stage.
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Iran Denies Any Meeting With US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS
Iran currently has no plan to meet with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday in an interview on state TV, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s statement that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was assessing whether talks with the US were in its interest, following five previous rounds of negotiations that were cut short by Israel and the US attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The US and Israel said the strikes were meant to curb Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons, while Iran says its nuclear program is solely geared toward civilian use.
Araqchi said the damages to nuclear sites “were not little” and that relevant authorities were figuring out the new realities of Iran’s nuclear program, which he said would inform Iran’s future diplomatic stance.
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Ireland Becomes First European Nation to Advance Ban on Trade With Israeli Settlements
A pro-Hamas demonstration in Ireland led by nationalist party Sinn Fein. Photo: Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Ireland has become the first European nation to push forward legislation banning trade with Israeli communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — an effort officials say is meant “to address the horrifying situation” in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Irish Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Simon Harris announced that the legislation has already been approved by the government and will now move to the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny.
“Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza,” Harris said during a press conference.
The Irish diplomat also told reporters he hopes the “real benefit” of the legislation will be to encourage other countries to follow suit, “because it is important that every country uses every lever at its disposal.”
Today Ireland becomes the first country in Europe to bring forward legislation to ban trade with the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza.
Every country must pull every lever at its disposal. pic.twitter.com/Z4RTjqntEY— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) June 24, 2025
Joining a growing number of EU member states aiming to curb Israel’s defensive campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Ireland’s decision comes after a 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal.
The ICJ ruled that third countries must avoid trade or investment that supports “the illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Once implemented, the law will criminalize the importation of goods from Israeli settlements into Ireland, empowering customs officials to inspect, seize, and confiscate any such shipments.
“The situation in Palestine remains a matter of deep public concern,” Harris said. “I have made it consistently clear that this government will use all levers at its disposal to address the horrifying situation on the ground and to contribute to long-term efforts to achieve a sustainable peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”
“Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are illegal and threaten the viability of the two-state solution,” the Irish diplomat continued. “This is the longstanding position of the European Union and our international partners. Furthermore, this is the clear position under international law.”
Harris also urged the EU to comply with the ICJ’s ruling by taking a more decisive and “adequate response” regarding imports from Israeli settlements.
“This is an issue that I will continue to press at EU level, and I reiterated my call for concrete proposals from the European Commission at the Foreign Affairs Council this week,” he said.
Last week, Ireland and eight other EU member states — Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden — called on the European Commission to draft proposals for how EU countries can halt trade and imports with Israeli settlements, in line with obligations set out by the ICJ.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the latest move by European countries, calling it “shameful” and a misguided attempt to undermine Israel while it faces “existential” threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas.
“It is regrettable that even when Israel is fighting an existential threat which is in Europe’s vital interest — there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession,” the top Israeli diplomat said in a post on X.
It is regrettable that even when Israel fighting an existential threat which is in Europe vital interest – there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession.
Shameful! https://t.co/lxm9qm8sM1— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) June 19, 2025
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