Hollywood Good Guys: Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts
by Robert J. Avrech
–
Hollywood stars Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts, with their two children Samuel, 6, and Alexander, 1, recently visited Israel.
Schreiber said his grandfather was a strong Zionist who had always begged him to go to Israel. His grandfather died before he could make that happen, so this trip resonates for him. It may also have additional meaning following his most recent role as Zus Bielski in Defiance, the Holocaust movie recounting the Bielski brothers, Jewish partisans who lived and rebelled against the Nazis from a Bellarussian forest with a band of fellow refugees.
Schreiber recalls some intensely personal history:
“I grew up in the Lower East Side of New York, and I’m half-Jewish. Anything that has resonance for me about my family history, because I don’t know much about it, I’m drawn to. That’s part of why I think I choose projects like this. Less because I’m right for them, but because I want to know if I’m right for them.”
As Schreiber planted a tree in the Galilee, Naomi Watts recited the tree planting prayer.
“This particular area is called Galilee,” the dad-of-two explained. “And in this area, approximately 750,000 trees were destroyed in missile attacks [from Gaza]. So what we are doing here today is called Project Renewal.”
From years of watching Hollywood distance itself from Israel and Zionism I can safely observe that Schreiber and Watts, in their unabashed support of Israel and Judaism—make no mistake about it, the war against Israel is primarily a jihad against Judaism—are brave people for going public. Both are exquisitely gifted actors and their support for Israel should be applauded.
Once upon a time, Hollywood stars were firm supporters of Israel. Screenwriter Ben Hecht was a major voice for the Irgun. Frank Sinatra donated thousands to the fledgling state of Israel. But the cancer of multiculturalism has embedded itself into the, ahem, “progressive” Hollywood body politic and with it comes the inevitable poison of moral equivalency, resulting in such vile movies as Steven Spielberg’s historically and ethically bankrupt Munich.
Liev and Naomi hold up their Jewish National Fund certificates.
Liev Schreiber binds himself in tefillin.
Naomi Watts, holding her son Alexander, prays at the Kotel,
the Western Wall.
More pictures here.
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89 Comments
Thank goodness! Two of my favorite actors (I had no idea they were a couple) are able to stand against the typical moral equivalence of Hollywood. Hopefully they won't make me eat these words in the future.
The first time I saw Liev Schreiber in a movie was when he was playing a transvestite in "Mixed Nuts". I thought he was very funny but didn't realize what a great actor he was in until seeing him in much, much different roles. The video also shows that his heart and mind are in the right place. Very heart warming and inspirational and my opinion of both he and Ms. Watts has risen enormously. Thanks for posting it.
Very cool. Another reason to like these two.
Truly moving. I thought Liev Schreiber did such a superb job in Defiance. It pleases me to learn he had such a profound reason for taking on that role. My hats off to both him and his family.
Being from the Midwest, I was usually confident that the Israelis had support in LA. One night a few years ago, sitting at Jeffrey's in Malibu with some friends (who were Jewish) we were unable to carry on our own conversation because of the loud ranting about the *$&#^@ zionists and the brave and oppressed palestinians from the next table . My friends weren't perturbed and I asked them repeatedy why, but they just shrugged. Fortunately, emboldened by a couple of martinis, I turned on these idiots at the next table and glared enough to get them to tone it down. I would have preferred to take it to the curb, but my wife would have beaten me there and all I would be doing was pulling her off some face case with squat for brains. Boy, LA certainly has it backwards.
Nice. thanks for relaying this info.
Liev and Naomi are quite an impressive couple.
Always been a fan of Liev Schreiber, very versatile and convincing in everything he does.
Good to know that he's got character and inner strength too. It's great that he and Naomi Watts are sharing this with their children. Good for them.
Thanks to Big Hollywood for once again exposing the best side of Tinsel Town. Good for Liev and Naomi!
Today we are buying Israeli couscous from our local Trader Joe's. It is not as glamorous or even as strong a statement as Liev and Naomi's, but it is in solidarity with them.
http://usacbi.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/how-to-gui...
The above link is to the U.S. Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel, which I strongly disagree with. I will patronize all businesses that trade with Israel.
I will support Israel any way I can.
Big Hollywood is my Home Page when my laptop opens and imagine my delight — and utter surprise — to find your wonderful article, Mr. Averich. (As usual, a great job). Ironically, yesterday, my mom and I were having a heck of a time trying to remember Liev's full name, but remembered all of his movies! (One of THOSE moments LOL). She was even telling me that she thought he and Naomi Watts met during the filming of The Painted Veil. One of my favorite performances from him: Orson Welles. So how funny to find this and what a way to end this gal's day (I work nights), but most of all, how beautiful to hear that they are so unashamedly proud of their support for Israel. (continued)
As an American, a Christian, someone who is biracial, and a supporter of Israel, it is breaking my heart to see the attitude of our current president towards that tiny nation; it also flips my stomach a hundred different ways when I hear Obama supporters — many announcing that they are black — call conservative radio shows to make some of the most vile, anti-Semetic statements. This, along with movies such as the disgusting 'Munich' (I'll never get those hours of my life back again), has added to my continuing disgust with Hollywood. Your article has given me a glimmer of hope and I am going to absolutely SAVOR Defiance (at home now — one of my Netflix rentals). Thank you again for running with this story.
>>>approximately 750,000 trees were destroyed in missile attacks [from Gaza].
I'm a christian zionist myself, but that figure sounds COMPLETELY BOGUS. He's passing on some bad info there.
I had no idea Liev Schrieber and Naomi Watts were religious and pro-Israel. That's wonderful. I had seen both of them in various movies. This is a neat story and video. Neat! What a cool story. Way to go. Thank you Liev and Naomi.
And the most retarded "ism" being, of course, Liberalism.
Hmm…what an uninformed riposte and unfortunate use of the term "retarded."
Still, since most of the supporters of Zionism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries practiced "liberalism," and since I myself am certainly not a "liberal," I have no reason to argue.
It wasn't only from Gaza, it says in the news that Liev was planting trees in GALILEE, in the north of Israel- where hundreds of thousands of trees were burned down in fires resulting from Hizbullah rockets being fired back during the Lebanon War in 2006..
I have always liked Liev as an actor and he proves he is a real mensch and one of the good guys of Hollywood!
The planting of a tree holds a deeply spiritual meaning for both Jews and Christians. In both the Old and New Testament the tree is a sign of God's blessing and of His shepherding of His people. (Psalm 1:3) It is a sign of good government on earth and the promise that one day God will set up His kingdom. (Daniel 4, Matthew 13:31-32, and Revelation 22:2) The planting of a tree in the war torn region of Israel is more than just restoring the landscape. It is a promise that one day war will end and God will reign with justice and mercy. It is a beautiful image.
Instead of Zionism, I would add Liberalism. May I also submit that stupidity and ignorance are also deadly. They are not -isms but they are the gateway drugs to even greater evils.
Liev added so much to CSI when he did the brief stint following Wm. Peterson's leaving. Now that Fishburn (and I like him generally as an actor) is in the cast, the show is not nearly as good. Don't know why — he just doesn't fit. The chemistry isn't right. Doesn't help that "Catherine Willow" has shot her mouth so full of collagen that she looks like the Goodyear blimp landed on her head. The show is dying. CSI NY and CSI Miami have better casts now.
Frankly, with so many Jewish actors, directors, producers, etc., I cannot understand the virulent anti-Israeli sentiment coming out of Hollywood these days. Is it that Leftism as an ideology trumps everything? Or is it that these are just "useful idiots" (Lenin's term, not mine) who don't have a clue what they're really supporting — another Holocaust. It boggles my mind that the man who directed "Schindler's List" also directed "Munich". What do these people think will happen to Jews when the likes of Ahmadinejad and Hamas and Hezbollah "drive Israel into the sea".
Anybody know what's going on with the website. I just tried to post and got a message that my comment needed to be "cleared" by the administrator. There was nothing vulgar in it, not even (in my opinion) anything that could be considered controversial.
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I was in the Galilee region several months ago and saw first-hand the devastation brought by the terrorists from Gaza. What you have to understand is that there were massive forest fires caused by the missiles and rockets. Hundreds if not thousands of acres were destroyed. It is a blasted landscape.
I'm very rarely jealous of Hollywood actors, but Liev is the exception. Beyond acting, he directed and wrote the bizarrely wonderful "Everything is Illuminated" screenplay.
Then, I hear the b*stard married Naomi Watts.
Schrieber, you're a good man.
Why don't they get married?
A former student of mine was in town last week from Israel. He has the only animation company there. He doesn't understand the anti-Israelis in this town, nor do I. Thanks for pointing out some good guys!
From my visit there, I have to concurr.
Does my heart good to see two more of us in Hollywood that don't fall for the self destructive ways that seem to plague so many Jews. Mr. Schrieber may call himself half and I know nothing of the level of worship he may or may not have, but I consider him and his family whole of us.
Sabertooth makes good. Who'd have thunk it?
Wow … that was great. I've always liked Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts, but now they're two of favorite performers.
God bless Israel.
I knew there was a reason I liked Naomi – and I dont like too many female actors.
Huzzah for Liev and Naomi! I am so glad to see them stand up for their people!
And Mr. Avrech – thank you for the link to tefillin – I always enjoy reading and learning about Judaism.
Come on "bato65" you "conservative zionist"! Let's hear a mea culpa. Three people explaining about the 750,000 trees destroyed by rockets and fire ought to bring out an apology.
Their explanation made sense– it was the forest fires started by Hez rockets. That's not what Liev said though, was it.
Liev got his statement wrong, but I admire his gesture.
*MissQuinn*
This is so true because we as the general public need to know how to support actors and actresses who are open minded and honest. I am not suggesting we only support those in Hollywood who are on the Right, but that we support those who take a stand on an issue which is right.
Many on the Left have inadvertently made movies, tv shows, or documentaries supportive of the truth. I will never forget the animated movie "The Iron Giant" was suppose to be about anti-guns and anti-nukes. For my family it was quite the reverse. Peter Jackson to me is to the Left of the things I believe in, but all of the "Lord of the Rings" movies champion Conservative ideals.
I for one do want to know who in Hollywood to support if they are being targeted by the Hollywood Left, but I also want to make sure I champion artistic freedoms so many on the Right believe in. We are not nearly as restrictive as the Left wants to portray us. It is the Right after all who is begging for the Classics to be introduced to our youth! The Classics, which at one time was considered by some as being extremely radical. LOL!
No, two has-beens who have no future in Hollywood are supporting a terrorist regime… Nothing to be proud of.
We on the Right advocate for marriage, family and the Constitution. We do not advocate for perfection. In my mind that is something only God can do. Can we not just celebrate what these two are doing? I get it that we would like it for people to get married, have sex, and then have a family. In a perfect world this would be the way all people operate. But this is not a perfect world. I for one am not going to be the one to lob a stone in these lovely peoples direction. The death wish of this current Administration on Israel is far more important to me. May God forgive America for turning her back on the Jewish nation!
We on the Right advocate for marriage, family and the Constitution. We do not advocate for perfection. In my mind that is something only God can do. Can we not just celebrate what these two are doing? I get it that we would like it for people to get married, have sex, and then have a family. In a perfect world this would be the way all people operate. But this is not a perfect world. I for one am not going to be the one to lob a stone in these lovely peoples direction. The death wish of this current Administration on Israel is far more important to me. May God forgive America for turning her back on the Jewish nation!
Generally speaking Hollywood Liberals prefer dead Jews—Schindler's List—to Jews who are alive and willing to fight to stay that way.
I have been zapped again!
Is someone from Rahmbo's branch of the brown shirts working here? LOL! I get it! This is the action of one formerly affiliated with BOR's site! UGH!
"It boggles my mind that the man who directed "Schindler's List" also directed "Munich".
It boggles my mind as well. I'm not stupid. But American Jews supporting Palestinians against Israel leaves me at an utter loss for words.
"It boggles my mind that the man who directed "Schindler's List" also directed "Munich".
It boggles mine as well. If someone could explain it to me, I would be more than glad to listen. Anyone?
Wonderful article. I only have one quibble. The eldest child couldn't possibly be six years old. I would peg him at 3 years old myself.
Are there ANY editors of any description attached to these pieces? I've yet to see a single piece here without major errors in grammar or facts. To wit –
"Hollywood stars Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts, with their two children Samuel, 6, and Alexander, 1, recently visited Israel."
Do you just randomly type? Do any of you conservative loons ever think to look anything up anyplace? I realize y'all have a rather loose relationship with the facts but come on. Neither of those kids is 6, pretty obviously (you even have pictures and you can't get it right) and the older one is Alexander.
Ms. Watts has made her first, truly stupid move. The kind in which Sir Lord
ex-Beatle McCartney specializes, these days. At least Kidman knows how
to keep her mouth shut, regarding crazed religionists, Too bad, Betty. You
were actually an excellent Actor, but you've rendered that irrelevant, now.
She has tragically mis-read the landscape. Praying at Fort Antonia as a
photo-op (The Temple was totally destroyed-that wall isn't even where it
was) is her right, but she, for once, did not do her "homework".
Unfortunate. She was the best. Equating Judaism with Zionism is absurd.
"Fundamentally".
They are married, it's just a showbiz name thing
My grandparents were national officers and founders of JNF in America and have a giant forest named in their honor. But, sadly, JNF will not plant trees on any land outside the "green line," including in parts of the Old City of Jerusalem. Also sad, JNF has been caught in more than a few scandals not planting trees for money it was given to plant trees. And most sad, JNF's Land of Promise Foundation VP Hanan Lis recently held a legal defense fund fundraiser for open HAMAS supporter Hatim Atallah.
Considering that Naomi Watts is a gentile and Liev is a non-religious half-Jew, they are impressive. I wish practicing Jews in Hollywood would take a more pro-Israel stance.
FYI, Evan Sayet discusses this in the Q and A portion of his talk on PopModal. His is a very interesting perspective from a brilliant mind.
I believe you are on the correct path inquiring whether Leftism as an ideology trumps everything. Leftism is a secular religion jam-packed with feel-good sophistry especially appealing to so many Hollywood denizens of Jewish extraction. These are folks who are only culturally Jewish and almost never observant. Given their obscene amounts of money and lack of personal charity, compounded by the socialist bent of much Jewish tradition, these folks are racked by guilt and cognitive dissonance. Leftism provides a miasmic but soothing Kulturesmog, reinforced by endless repetition, which soothes the racking dissonance brought on by great wealth, no personal charity, and lack of religious piety. By following the Kultursmog diktats supporting the exact causes which portend the gory end of much of today's Hollywood and the US, personal relief from grinding Cognitive Dissonance is achieved. Thus you have the director of Shindler's List producing the nauseating and false moral equivalence of Munich.
And may God forgive those Jews who have turned their backs on our own people in the name of politics for I will not.
What a beautiful story! Does my heart good to learn that these two great actors are also good people, standing strong for a righteous cause. Sad that neither Hollywood nor the President understand the Biblical prophecy that God will bless those who bless her (Israel) and curse those who curse her. The anointing flows from the head, and Americans have unknowingly elected a blind guide, with no moral compass beyond political ambition. And this at a time when our country desperately needs mature, godly leadership. Pray for the soul of our America and for the peace of Israel.
Liev is a great guy. But It seems you are designating only two positions for Hollywood Jews. Either they support Israel strongly and publically [as does Liev and Naomi] or if they don't show this kind of support publically they must hate Israel. Odd.
I know of no Hollywood Jews who are anti-Israeli. None. However a very few want a two state solution and would like to see violence end. They also criticize the government on occasion. [When you criticize our government, are you anti-American?]
Also, I think you need to watch Munich again because, obviously, you read into it what you wanted to see rather than what was there. The film is, in part, about the difficulty of murdering people for a profession. No matter how evil your enemy is, making a career out of killing them is not really as easy as it sounds. Do you think people can act like John Wayne and kill with no emotion? You should know that people who do that are psychopaths. People from civilized countries, for the most part, see value in human life. Even human life that is hard to have compassion for.
Bob: In resorting to a personal attack on this site, you completely miss the point of the story. This is the personal testimony of a man and woman and their family. Even if you disagree with them and/or despise Israel, can't you at least respsect the personal convictions that led them to plant this tree. It's a small gesture of peace. This is what America is supposed to stand for: freedom of speech and respect for others. We must find a way to rebuild this bridge if we're ever going to create One America, instead of a collection of special interest groups shooting at one another to demand their own "rights."
Practice what you preach and it appears Liev is a good example. He has my money on his next films.
Your ignorance is astounding. Obviously falling for the usual propganda on the subject. I am an evangelical Christian and I have studied the history of the Jewish people. The original Palestinians are the Jewish people, not the current arabs that were ascribed that name in very recent history. The people of Israel are not terrorists they have every right to defend their God given land. If the US was constantly bombed by, let's say, Mexico you would think we have a right to defend ourselves correct? Israel has the right to defend itself from Hamas and Hezbollah, the true terrorists. Educate yourself and grow up. It is embarrassing how many of you fall for all the propoganda, and spew such uneducated, ignorant nonsense. Sad really.
Has-beens? What world do you live in?
Oh nevermind.
He calls her his wife at the beginning of the video.
Just an FYI, God Tv is working to plant 1 million trees in Israel. Christians from all over the world donated money to plant these trees. I am an evangelical Christian and am a staunch supporter of Israel and all Jewish people. Every Christian I know feels the same. My aunt has been living in Jerusalem for a few years, learning Hebrew and letting her love shine. I hope my 16 year old son and I will be able to visit her in the near future. Oh the joy I would experience in visiting Israel! God Bless Israel and it's people!
I didn't say anything at all directed at Schreiber, Watts or Israel. If you read what I wrote, I was questioning the supposed professional writers at this site, who consistantly have opinion pieces posted with a slew of errors, both factual and stylistic.
Frankly, if the writer is so incompetent as to get basic, obvious (there are pictures!) facts wrong, I not only have no interest in what they're trying to say, I don't believe any of what I do read.
The piece posted above isn't the "personal testimony" of either actor, it's a biased opinion piece by a writer who can't even get the names right, something that could have been accomplished with a minute of research. I assume they did no research into anything else in the piece, and have no interest in being factually correct.
Holy cow!!!! That's amazing. I never thought I'd live to see a youtube video with two Hollywood stars talking like that. What a beautiful video. God bless them and good for them.
I worked with and rented a MIL apartment from Liev Schreiber's dad for a short time. Liev definitely comes from good people.
Their stock immediately goes up (a bit) in my book.
I never said that Hollywood Jews are anti-israel. I said that they have distanced themselves from Zionism. The last major Hollywood movie about Israel was cast a "Giant Shadow." Before that "Exodus." That's over 50 years ago.
Advocating a two state solution sounds nice but it's delusional. Gaza ia a Pali state and it is a front line for transnational terrorists. I addition, every child in Gaza is brought up to believe that Jews are inherently evil and must be eliminated.
The PLO Charter denies the legitimacy of Israel and the Hamas Charter is one of the most anti-Semitic documents in modern times. It quotes from the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and calls for genocide against the Jewish people.
Here's the PLO charter: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/plocov.as...
Hamas Charter: http://www.mideastweb.org/hamas.htm
Calling for a two state solution, is in fact, calling for the elimination of Israel, a Final Solution, if you will. It may be well intended, but it's dangerously naive. Haven't you noticed that the Arab world is Judenrein? Ever wonder why?
BTW, neither the PLO charter not the Hamas Charter speak of a two-state solution. They speak of "liberating occupied Palestine." In plain language, that means the end of the Jewish State.
"Munich" is not about the difficulty of killing people, but about how the Mossad is no different than the terrorists. Notice that Spielberg/Kushner never shows the female Dutch assassin killing the Mossad agent during their hotel tryst. We only see the Mossad agents killing the woman. This is deeply selective narrative. Film is a moral landscape and "Munich" comes down firmly on the side of moral equivalence.
Also, and this is vital, the film is based on a book that is known to be a complete fabrication. It was written by an El Al security agent who posed as a former Mossad agent. It's nonsense. The real agents have said that they are proud of their mission and never doubted the righteousness of knocking off the Black September terrorists.
And what exactly did you think to achieve with your diatribe?
That we would all decide to forgo the visiting of this site because the i's aren't always dotted and the t's aren't always crossed?
You'll excuse me if I observe that it hasn't stopped you…
Beautiful. The prayer recited with the voice of their child in the background..powerful, meaningful. Amen.
And she will truly miss her cut of every ticket to one of her films that you decide not to buy…
Wow.
Did you tell Mr. Avrech that he was "designating only two positions for Hollywood Jews" ("support" or "hate" [your word])…THEN berate his opinion of "Munich" by saying, "you read into it what you wanted to see rather than what was there"?
Again, I say, "Wow."
"
I'm still trying to figure out why every jewish person I know voted for Obama.
Liev also narrated the great documentary, Thrilla in Manilla, which exposes Muhammad Ali for the racist punk he was. Killer line about Ali and the Nation of Islam: "Ali was the mouthpiece for a religious group that had the same beliefs as the white supremacist Klu Klux Klan."
Naomi Watts has goofy teef
And she is a terrorist supporter. Maybe one of the Palestinians will knock her dumb gap tooth grin out if we're lucky.
Same here. I felt he was easily the best part of Defiance, and that is saying something because I absolutely love that movie. He has always been one of my favorite actors. And Naomi Watts made Eastern Promises, so she is pretty much just awesome.
Considering the prevailing sentiment in Hollywood, it's truly refreshing to see this couple bucking the trend of knuckling under to the prevailing sentiment and having the guts to stand up for what is right. I think they both earned a Gary Cooper cowboy hat.
According to Wikipedia, he was born in 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naomi_Watts
1. It's a blog
2. On this side of the aisle, we don't equate typos with intelligence.
3. You need to relax.
What does it say about Hollywood when we call a pair of actors "brave" for being willing to publicly support the region's only successful and flourishing democracy?
One where he has some urge to make imperious demands of people he dislikes… oh and hope that an actress he dislikes gets her teeth knocked out by someone else.
Whow! I heard it, I did.
Even Miss. Watts gave out a snort when Mr. Schrieber mentioned that his was to BURY the snotty son beside the tree!!! That must be one evil little rugrat!!
Or was this a Freudian slip on the Schreb-man?!
Thank you! With many cousins in the IDF and one formerly in the Mossad, I found Munich to be an insult.
I have one half-Jewish, half-Christian friend who did not vote for Obama, but he tells me he doesn't know any other Jews who didn't. I suspect the answer rather than being complicated is that Jews sometimes have a hard time believing their "lying ears" (a rip off of the joke — "who are you going to believe? Me (your cheating husband) or your lying eyes?"
Unfortunately many Jews also fit the definition of insanity — i.e. they keep doing the same thing thinking they'll get a different result.
Jews have traditionally made concessions — including to the Germans in the thirties — thinking if they only try to get along, those opposed to them will accept them. It hasn't happened, and it won't happen if Israel concedes more and more land to the Palestinians who are, from what I understand, in truth, Jordanians.
I admire Israelis but frankly am completely baffled by American Jews. Netanyahu and Spielberg seem not to be of the same species even.
God Bless Them. I really appreciate to see this, Israel must be strongly supported during those harsh times, especially with that "Change" in the American foreign policy. I appreciate the link for the Irgun site too, the book of Prof. Yehuda Lapidot is great.
Massada never again !
Jewel, God Bless you and your involvement!
Did you ever notice that the more Israel agrees with a two state solution, the more her enemies run away from it? When has any Palestinian leadership ever behaved as if they wanted to run a state?
As for Munich, it is a vile piece of historical manipulation that I will never forgive Spielberg for. I was shocked how bad it was. "Moral equivalence" does not begin to describe it. And Spielberg is a smart filmmaker. That didn´t happen by accident.
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