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Hans Zimmer expressed his support for the Palestinian people on Wednesday by sharing a post on Instagram that he deleted later.
In that detailed and emotional post, Zimmer addressed the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, referencing reports of mass starvation, the deliberate targeting of civilians, and allegations of food being poisoned with opioids. His post sought to shed light on the severity of the situation, describing it as a genocide.
Zimmer also brought attention to the recent controversy surrounding the British rap group Bob Vylan, who led chants of “Death to the IDF” during a performance at this year’s Glastonbury Festival in the United Kingdom. He used the incident to illustrate the stark contrast between the intense backlash received by the artists and the relative silence surrounding the suffering of Palestinians.
Despite the strong statements and the attention the post garnered, it was later removed from Zimmer’s Instagram account without any explanation, leaving followers and observers questioning the reason behind its deletion.
The move drew particular attention given Zimmer’s longstanding ties to Israel: earlier this year, his music was performed by the International Symphony Orchestra in a series of concerts held in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Beersheba. In 2014, Zimmer helped raise $1.2 million for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, where he was honored with a lifetime achievement award.
Zimmer’s post adds to growing tension within the film and music industries, where a number of prominent voices have criticized their peers for remaining silent on the war in Gaza. Earlier this year, actors Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Riz Ahmed, and director Guillermo del Toro joined over 370 others in signing an open letter condemning that silence.
Some filmmakers have turned to their craft to speak out. No Other Land, a documentary chronicling the destruction of the Masafer Yatta community in the occupied West Bank by Israeli soldiers, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature last year. Another powerful work, Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk — a conversation between Iranian director Sepideh Farsi and Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassona — was screened at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Tragically, the day after the film’s selection was announced, Hassona was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza.
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