Lamenting Los Angeles wildfires, Southern California native Jamie Lee Curtis compares damage to Palisades neighborhood to war in the Gaza Strip, drawing criticism on social media.
By World Israel News Staff
A Hollywood A-lister came under fire last week, after she compared fire-ravaged neighborhoods in Los Angeles to the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Jamie Lee Curtis, the 66-year-old actress and former “scream queen” who starred in the Halloween film series and A Fish Called Wanda, spoke out Thursday at an event marking the debut of her latest film, The Last Showgirl.
During a question and answer session, Curtis commented on the four ongoing wildfires raging in the Los Angeles area, including the massive Pacific Palisades fire.
“I’m born and raised in the City of Angels,” Curtis said, “and the entire City of Angels is on fire everywhere. The entire city. The Pacific Palisades is gone.”
“My house tonight is still there, but I live in a different canyon,” Curtis continued, before comparing the damage in Los Angeles to the Gaza war.
“But the entire Pacific Palisades looks like, unfortunately, Gaza or one of these war-torn countries where awful things have happened. And there are now fires breaking out everywhere. It feels totally bizarre to be talking about a movie. But it is a piece of art, and art will save us – no matter what.”
Social media users quicky pounced on Curtis’ comments, with some denouncing the comparison as insensitive, while others blasted Curtis over her support for Israel after the October 7th invasion.
“This is a completely atrocious comparison considering this is the same woman who advocated for Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” wrote one user.
Another, under the handle @lizziesjuul, wrote: “i live in california and you would never find me comparing these fires to gaza…both tragedies but not comparable AT ALL.”