UN goodwill ambassador scorecard: How many spoke up for Palestine?
Since October 7 when Netanyahu declared war on Gaza and commenced bombardment that many experts are calling a genocide, social media users have expressed outrage against celebrities remaining silent about the atrocities, especially those who work with UNICEF. The UN body provides protection and aid for children from marginalised communities in countries like Syria and Vietnam.
But as the genocide of Gaza goes on, several people have noticed how prominent big names have remained silent.
Social media feels it’s absolutely necessary to point out that any person with a massive platform and influence has a responsibility to condemn a genocide or at least ask for a ceasefire. If you’re the goodwill ambassador of an organisation that is advocating for the rights of children, then the onus lies on you to speak out when it matters.
We have a list of big names who are working with UNICEF, and what was their stance on the death toll in Gaza.
Selena Gomez

Selena, the most followed person on Instagram, sparked outrage when she posted a vague statement on her social media accounts, writing that she was against the murder of little children, and was taking a break because of the violence. She also added that “an Instagram post doesn’t change anything,” leading many to criticise the actress for being a hypocrite for using her 430 million followers to promote products, but not to stop a genocide.
Later, Selena announced she was deleting her account because of the backlash, causing further outrage. She then signed the petition calling for a ceasefire, and donated to charities in both Israel and Palestine. Social media was still not happy because the CEO of Rare Beauty, Selena’s beauty brand, has publicly expressed his Zionist ties.
Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry

Orlando released a neutral statement on October 14 on his Instagram account expressing his grief on the innocent lives lost both in Israel and Palestine, calling for an end to the war. Then the celebrity couple signed the open letter calling President Biden to bring all hostages home and ending the Hamas.
David Beckham

The former football star and UNICEF ambassador released a statement on his Instagram stories expressing his grief on lives lost on both sides and called for the violence to stop.
Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka was among the several South Asian celebrities who signed the petition calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, and had also not attended the Diwali party held by Kamala Harris at the White House.
Alyssa Milano

The actress released a statement criticising the calls for ‘no ceasefire’ at the Israeli march held in Washington, and called for a radical peace movement that helps the innocent children of Palestine.
Amitabh Bachchan

The Bollywood giant was previously seen taking a selfie with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a 2018 event. He has not released a statement about the death toll of children and women killed in Gaza.
Leo Messi

The Argentinian football player is a UNICEF ambassador and has made no public statement about the children killed in Gaza.
Millie Bobby Brown

‘Stranger Things’ star Millie Bobby Brown has not commented anything about the lives lost in Gaza,
Serena Williams

Famous tennis star Serena Williams has said nothing on the innocents killed in Gaza.
Liam Neeson

The actor has not said anything on the mass atrocities committed in Gaza.
Jackie Chan

The prominent Asian actor has said nothing about the civilian lives lost in Gaza.