Emmy Award-winning actress Tiffany Haddish winner shared with her 7.4 million followers on Instagram on Tuesday that she is on a flight to Israel.
"It's an educational trip for me. I'll learn about politics. Look, I feel like I don't believe everything I see on the Internet, I have to go see for myself, I'm one of those people," she said. The Instagram video she uploaded is nearly 14 minutes in length while traveling to Israel from Los Angeles amidst the Jewish state's war against Hamas.
The video can be seen below:
View this post on Instagram
Haddish told her followers that she intends to visit Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and the Dead Sea to learn more about the situation.
The Emmy winner added: "I'm going to see everything, I'm going to ask questions, notice with my own eyes. I know from my personal experience that a lot of things that are said on social media are not true." Regarding reports that it's allegedly not safe to travel to Israel at this time, she added: "I know many people who have traveled. So many who have traveled and returned, and everything is fine, so I want to go and see, and I will show you all a bit of it while I am there."
It did not take Haddish long to receive backlash from pro-Palestinian supporters for her post.
"The fact you can fly and ‘holiday’ in Israel, but Gaza is pretty much destroyed, gives you all the information you really need. This isn’t a war, it’s genocide," one user commented. Another commented "Really Tiff?! wow, honestly there so much I could say but damn this is heartbreaking, you are not a safe space and your instincts are inherently flawed and dangerous." Others accused her by saying, "How much are they paying you to support genocide?"However, numerous comments were positive regarding Haddish's decision, with many wishing her a good trip and even some inviting her over for Shabbat dinner.
Haddish's Jewish background
The 44-year-old Haddish was born and raised in Los Angeles to a refugee from Eritrea, who her grandmother said was Jewish, and to an African-American Christian mother.
About four years ago, when she was 40, she decided to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah ceremony. Rabbi Susan Silverman, comedian Sarah Silverman's sister, presided over the ceremony. At the same time, a filmed comedy show appeared on Netflix called Tiffany Haddish: Black Mitzvah.
Last October, she signed the letter calling on US President Joe Biden to work for the release of the hostages from the captivity of Hamas.