Wallace Shawn's 'Worse Than the Nazis' Comment About Israel Resurfaces Online

Wallace Shawn's incendiary comparison between Israel's actions in Gaza and Nazi Germany has resurfaced online more than a year after the actor originally made the remarks.

A clip shared on X on Thursday, 24 September, highlighted the Jewish-American actor and playwright's claim that Israel was committing acts comparable to those of the Nazis and, in some respects, behaving even worse because its actions were not being hidden.

The comments were not made in response to the latest developments in Gaza. They originated from an interview with The Katie Halper Show that circulated in late January 2025 and have now been recirculated online.

What Wallace Shawn Actually Said

During the interview, Shawn argued that Israel had taken Palestinian territory and homes and had committed acts he compared with Nazi persecution of Jews.

He said Israel was doing evil 'just as great' as that committed by the Nazis and argued that, in some ways, its conduct was worse because Israeli actions were taking place openly.

Shawn described what he viewed as Israel's conduct as 'demonically evil'.

The actor also made broader allegations about Israel's conduct in Gaza, including claims concerning starvation, access to medicine and attacks on hospitals.

Those remarks represented Shawn's political assessment of Israel's military campaign rather than independently established conclusions in the interview.

Israel has repeatedly rejected accusations that it deliberately targets civilians and maintains that its military operations are directed against Hamas and other armed groups.

Old Interview Finds New Audience

The renewed attention came after an X account posted a shortened version of Shawn's comments, presenting the Nazi comparison as its central message.

The post identified Shawn as Jewish while highlighting his criticism of Israel.

That distinction matters because the clip could otherwise be interpreted as a new intervention by Shawn amid continuing international debate over Israel and Gaza.

Shawn, known for films including The Princess Bride and Clueless and for voicing Rex in the Toy Story franchise, has criticised Israeli policy for years.

He has served on the advisory board of Jewish Voice for Peace, a Jewish organisation advocating for Palestinian rights and opposing Zionism, and previously participated in demonstrations calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Shawn Has Previously Criticised Israel

His 2025 remarks were therefore consistent with positions he had expressed before the interview.

Following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023 and Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza, Shawn appeared at protests criticising Israel's response and US support for it.

He has also argued that criticism of Zionism or the Israeli government should not automatically be treated as antisemitism.

His comparison drew particular attention because Shawn is Jewish and explicitly invoked Nazi persecution of Jews in making his argument.

The resurfaced clip arrives without a new statement from Shawn attached. Instead, it illustrates how an older political interview can return to circulation more than a year later and reach audiences who may never have encountered the original discussion.

For readers seeing the video for the first time, the crucial context is its age: Shawn did make the remarks, but they originated from an interview that circulated in late January 2025, not September 2026.