Emmy-Award winning actress Patricia Heaton urged Christians to "fight alongside the Jewish people" against antisemitism and October 7 "denialism" while speaking at a media event this week.
The "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "The Middle" actress joined other supporters of Israel at the 2nd annual Jewish Media Awards at the Lincoln Center in New York City on November 12. The award ceremony celebrates positive depictions of Jewish characters in entertainment.
Heaton, who has been an outspoken advocate for Israel in the wake of the October 7 Hamas terror attacks, honored Sheryl Sandberg's documentary, "Screams Before Silence," which explores the sexual violence committed by Hamas on October 7.
"I just want to say one thing before I read this written speech. It's such an honor to be able to come alongside you because Israel, all of you here, are putting your sons and daughters in harm's way, not only to save Israel, but to save the world. And we owe you an eternal debt of gratitude," Heaton began her speech.
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"And as a Catholic, you may not know this, but Saint Michael, the Archangel, is the patron saint of Israel, and he is the patron saint of soldiers, firemen and policemen. And so we ask Saint Michael the Archangel to defend all of Israel, all the Israelis in battle, in the name of God," she continued.
"When I was growing up learning about the Holocaust, I often wondered what I, as a Christian, would have done in those days if I were a German. Would I have been that person to hide my Jewish neighbor? After October 7 I didn't have to wonder anymore. It was our opportunity now to use my platform to fight alongside the Jewish people as they were once again under attack," she added.
"And as you just saw in ‘Screams Before Silence,’ Sheryl Sandberg echoes The Megillah and the challenge that Mordecai gives Esther when she declares, 'This is the most important work of my life, and maybe everything I've done has led to this moment, giving voice to the voiceless.' When too many people are not believing Jewish women, when October 7 denialism is happening in real time, ‘Screams Before Silence’ is proud and authentic Jewish representation. And it reminds us that we can choose to lead and be heard when the moment calls to us," Heaton said.
The Jewish Media Awards was hosted by the Jewish Institute for Television and Cinema "JITC" Hollywood Bureau, which "champions authentic and nuanced portrayals of Jews, Judaism, and Israel in the entertainment industry and challenges tropes and stereotypes in media," according to the group's website.
"Since October 7, Jews have been getting beaten down on social media and in mainstream media, constantly being told how awful we are," event organizer Allison Josephs said, according to a report in The New York Post.
Heaton has frequently spoken out against antisemitism on college campuses, saying universities should lose their federal funding if they continue to tolerate Jewish students being harassed on their campuses.
"What we've seen on college campuses from the administration has been horrendous, that they are not willing to support Jewish students," she previously told Fox News Digital.
"I believe that if a campus allows this to continue that they should lose their federal funding because they're breaking the law," she added.
The actress also recently commented on President-elect Trump's election victory, condemning "extremists" in the press who warned women their lives would be threatened if Trump won the election.
"To all these extremists that are allowed television time, who told women that this is what is going to happen to them, shame on you! Shame on you!" she said in a video posted to X last week.
