Actress Tovah Feldshuh has responded to her "Nobody Wants This" co-star Adam Brody's recent call for a "free Palestine," stating that such accusations against Jewish people are "wild" and akin to rhetoric from Hitler's playbook.
Brody, who was raised Jewish, drew criticism after telling GQ last month, "Put me down as thinking it’s a genocide. Put me down as wanting a free Palestine." He expressed hope that a new administration could correct policies contributing to the situation.
Feldshuh, speaking on Jonathan Harounoff's "UNscripted" podcast, did not name Brody directly but addressed "people with big followings" who have described Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide. "To accuse the Jewish people of genocide is wild," she stated. "It’s right out of Hitler’s playbook. You take the victim and you make the victim the perpetrator." She added, "I believe that the perseverance of the existence of the state of Israel is crucial to the well-being of the democratic world and of the free world."
The third season of "Nobody Wants This," a Netflix comedy series in which Brody plays a rabbi and Feldshuh portrays his mother, premiered last week. The show follows a romance between Brody's character and an agnostic podcaster, played by Kristen Bell.
Erin Foster, the creator of "Nobody Wants This," who converted to Judaism before marrying, also addressed the differing viewpoints. In a teaser for the "Not Skinny but Not Fat" podcast, Foster stated, "While I love Adam, I also disagree with him. And that’s OK."
Rabbi Steve Leder, a technical adviser for the show's first season, previously criticized Brody's use of the term "genocide" in a video posted to Instagram. "Being so flippant about a word like genocide — 'Hey, put me down for genocide,' like you're asking for a table for two at Craig’s — is disgusting," Leder said.
Feldshuh, whose other credits include "The Walking Dead" and a Broadway revival of "Funny Girl," indicated that her personal approach on set was to focus on her work and maintain positive relationships, regardless of differing political views.