Marcia Cross at Gaza Tribunal: “I couldn't live with myself” if I stayed silent

US Actress Marcia Cross delivered an impassioned video address to the Gaza Tribunal in Istanbul this week, detailing the severe personal backlash she faced after publicly calling for a ceasefire in the early weeks of the ‘Israeli’ assault on Gaza.

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The Desperate Housewives star told the international civil society initiative that she felt a moral imperative to speak out, asking, "Who am I, if I stay silent?"

Accused of Hate for Seeking Ceasefire

Cross recounted the immediate and intense reaction to her simple online post. She said she was "accused of hate" and that friends she had known for decades suddenly viewed her as someone who "hated Jews" instead of a woman "begging for the killing to stop."

She expressed deep shock and confusion over the inability of others to separate humanitarian concern from political animosity, stating, "To believe that empathy for one people must mean hatred of another... I was dumbfounded."

Cross revealed the emotional toll this conflict and the subsequent public reaction took on her, confessing, "I couldn't function. I couldn't live with myself."

Gaza Tribunal to Document 'People's Record'

The Gaza Tribunal is an independent, non-governmental initiative gathering in Istanbul to document and examine crimes in Gaza and the perceived failures of international law and organizations. Its stated goal is to create a comprehensive "people's record" of the events.

Cross underscored the tribunal's importance, criticizing the established international legal systems.

She stated that the tribunal is necessary because the very "legal and political systems designed to protect life have failed."

The actress joined a diverse group of international scholars and activists, including former UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk, in demanding accountability for the devastation in Gaza.