Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon, a prominent opponent of Israel’s actions in the Gaza war, denied that she is acting against Israel’s interest, in her first interview with an Israeli media organization since October 7, 2023.
Nixon said that she “loved the country and the people” ever since a college-age visit, but felt morally bound to protest its current war policy.
She said that her 28-year-old son, Sam, is “very centered in his Jewish identity” and the grandchild of Holocaust survivors. “He told me, ‘You have a bigger platform - please use it," she said. "Never again’ means never again for anyone.”
Nixon has long been one of Hollywood’s most visible advocates of a Gaza ceasefire. In November 2023, she joined a hunger-strike protest outside the White House, holding a placard that read, “Biden, you are starving Gaza. Permanent ceasefire now!” In January, she signed a petition supporting South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Last month, promotional clips for And Just Like That… showed her wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a Palestinian flag, reigniting debate on celebrity involvement in the conflict.
Antisemitism is largely from the right wing, Nixon claims
The interview coincided with Friday’s Israeli launch of the Sex and the City offshoot And Just Like That...’s third season on HOT and NEXT TV. When asked about the hostages, Nixon’s voice cracked. “The hostages… It’s a terrible situation, and we should be doing everything we can to free them,” she said. “I don’t think Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing the best things for their release, so it’s important to speak out.”
The backlash against Israel and American Jews since the war began isn’t coming from those who oppose the war in Gaza, Nixon claimed. Antisemitism, she said, “largely comes from the right wing, not from young people worried about Palestinians.”
When asked whether her pro-Palestinian protests belittle Israeli grief, Nixon insisted she was “deeply aware” of the trauma. “Israeli lives and Palestinian lives are intertwined,” she said, wiping away tears. “Safety and security for one people cannot exist without it for the other.”
Nixon added that genuine Israeli security is impossible without Palestinian safety.
The full interview has been published by Walla.