Benedict Cumberbatch Reads Mahmoud Darwish Poem at “Together for Palestine” Concert; Florence Pugh and Richard Gere Join
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Benedict Cumberbatch, Florence Pugh, Richard Gere, and 63 other celebrities took the stage Wednesday night at the charity concert Together for Palestine, helping raise £1.5 million for Gaza. The event, organized by British musician and activist Brian Eno, was held at Wembley Arena before more than 12,000 attendees, amid mounting criticism from artists of what they call Israel’s genocide in Palestine.
The Sherlock actor read a poem by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish on stage:
“On this land, there is that which deserves life. On this land, the lady of the land, the beginning of beginnings, the end of ends, that was named Palestine, and became Palestine, my land, my lady. Because you are my lady, life is worthy.”
Florence Pugh, star of Marvel’s Thunderbolts, told the crowd: “Silence in the face of such suffering is not neutrality, it is complicity. And empathy should never be this hard—it should never be this hard.”
Richard Gere later appeared on stage, declaring: “In this caravan, we are all together. It is not a caravan of despair, but a caravan of love and compassion… A caravan of resistance, of speaking truth, with generosity of spirit and kindness—because that is how change happens. You protest, and you allow love and inclusivity to be created.”
The Oh Canada actor also called for the removal of Benjamin Netanyahu: “He must go. And so must everyone who enabled him. Only one man could stop all of this madness in a single day: the president of my country, Trump. In one day he could end it all. Netanyahu desperately needs the U.S. and Trump. And if he wants a Nobel Peace Prize, this is the way.”
