Cornel West Facing Backlash Amid Susan Sarandon Support: 'Indefensible'

Cornel West's support for Susan Sarandon amid her latest controversy surrounding the Israel-Hamas war is sparking a new wave of criticism against the presidential hopeful.

Sarandon, the Oscar-winning actress who has attended pro-Palestinian protests, was dropped by United Talent Agency (UTA) following new remarks about the conflict. She was quoted by Deadline as saying, "There are a lot of people afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country."

West, who is running an independent challenge to President Joe Biden, showed support for Sarandon in a post to social media platform X, writing, "I stand in deep solidarity with my dear sister Susan Sarandon. I salute her courage and compassion!"

Hamas launched a surprised attack against Israel on October 7, attacking from the land, air and sea from the Gaza strip. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza, and has since launched a ground operation. The Associated Press reported that at least 11,000 people in Gaza and 1,400 in Israel have been killed in the war, which has divided the American public.

His support for Sarandon drew backlash from critics who argued her words crossed a line into antisemitism. West has also voiced support for Palestinians, drawing a contrast from President Joe Biden, who has walked a line between supporting Israel while raising concerns about the humanitarian conditions of civilians in Gaza.

Robert Y. Shapiro, a professor of political science at Columbia University, told Newsweek that the criticism is unlikely to affect West's campaign.

"He has established his place on the left," Shapiro said. "Supporting Sarandon on the issues at hand is fully consistent with that. So I see this having no or a very limited effect, if any."

Newsweek reached out to West's campaign for comment.

"Susan Sarandon was not dropped by her talent agency for speaking out against Israel's role in the conflict," Democratic strategist Aaron Black wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "She got dumped because she was pushing hate against Jews. You stand in solidarity with an antisemite. This is not a fine line."

"Brother West, Susan Sarandon was dropped for her antisemitic statements in which she said she hoped Jews felt fear. Do you support that?" journalist Victoria Brownworth said. "Many of us, including many Jews, are calling for an end to the violence in Gaza and an immediate ceasefire. When you conflate that with hate against Jews you damage the fight for it. You know better."

"Susan Sarandon does not deserve any defending," commentator Russell Drew said. "Just another reason not to take Cornel West seriously. He jumped the shark years ago and remains a supreme weirdo. He's the RFK Jr. of Jill Steins."

"Compassion? She actually lacked compassion in her comments. The woke left does not understand the meaning of the words they use," musician Andy Matteo said.

West has voiced support for Palestinians amid the conflict.

"We stand in solidarity with anybody who's occupied, anybody who's subjugated, anybody who's exploited. And that's why we focus on Gaza at this moment, because a genocidal attack is taking place," West said this month during a speech condemning the U.S. government's stance on Gaza outside the United Nations in New York City.

Update 11/22/23, 12:08 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Robert Y. Shapiro.

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