Israeli singer, 'Fauda' star and combat veteran Idan Amedi on Sunday sharply criticized a petition signed by prominent Israeli artists calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, accusing its signatories of being “disconnected” and spreading falsehoods.
The petition, titled “Statement from the Cultural Community: Stop the Horror in Gaza,” includes signatures or endorsements from some of Israel’s most recognizable cultural figures, among them singers Chava Alberstein, Gidi Gov and Assaf Amdursky; writers Zeruya Shalev and Zeruya Lahav; and actors and producers such as Gal Uchovsky and Heli Goldenberg. Organizers said they expect more artists to join in the coming days from across Israel’s cultural sectors.
The petition states that its signatories feel complicit “against our will and our values” in what it described as the killing of children and civilians, starvation, mass displacement and “the senseless destruction” of cities in Gaza. It calls on Israeli decision-makers to halt the war, release hostages and avoid committing what it refers to as "war crimes."
“We call on all those involved in determining and executing this policy: Stop! Do not give or follow illegal orders. Do not abandon the principles of human morality and Jewish values,” the petition reads.
Amedi, who served as a reservist in the IDF’s Combat Engineering Corps and was seriously wounded during fighting in Gaza in January, responded in a Facebook comment.
“Disconnected and spreading lies,” Amedi wrote. “Every house in Gaza contains anti-Semitic, anti-Jewish propaganda — from martyr posters to stickers saying, ‘With blood and fire we will reach Jerusalem.’ A group of privileged people continuing to echo stupidity, ignorance and lies.”
He also defended the military’s conduct during the war, claiming, “There is no other army in the world that operates in such a densely populated area with so few civilian casualties. That’s proven. Go check.”
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Amedi criticized the timing of the petition, published shortly after the release of disturbing footage showing Israeli hostages Evyatar David and Rom Breslavski in Hamas captivity.
“On the day we see our brothers in 2025 looking like ‘Muselmanns’ (a term used in Nazi concentration camps to describe prisoners suffering from starvation, exhaustion and a loss of will to live) underground, digging their own graves — go into a tunnel, fight for one day like tens of thousands of reservists, and then sign petitions,” he wrote. “You’re pathetic. We’ve had enough.”
Amedi was seriously injured in January during his reserve duty in Gaza and was hospitalized at Sheba Medical Center, where he was sedated and treated for shrapnel wounds throughout his body. He has since recovered and returned to his music career, releasing a new album and resuming public performances. He will return to "Fauda" for its fifth season.