Actor Adam Brody criticized by former series consultant over Gaza remarks
Former technical advisor Rabbi Steve Leder called Adam Brody an "ignorant Jew" after the actor described Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide, sparking controversy ahead of the Netflix series' new season.
Actor Adam Brody has drawn criticism from Rabbi Steve Leder, who served as the technical consultant on the first season of the Netflix series Nobody Wants This. In a video message, Leder said Brody’s recent comment describing Israel’s military actions in Gaza as genocide was inaccurate and reflected a lack of knowledge about the term.
Leder, who helped ensure the show’s depiction of Judaism was authentic, told Brody, "Your pronouncement the other day about a genocide in Gaza was truly shocking, not only because of your misuse and mischaracterization of the word ‘genocide’—there is no genocide in Gaza, there are genocides happening in other countries but you failed to mention any of them. You, by your own admission, are a relatively ignorant Jew, and your ignorance really showed the other day. If you’re gonna use a word like ‘genocide,’ you ought to know what it means. And by the way, being so flippant about a word like ‘genocide’—‘hey put me down for [thinking it’s a] genocide’ like you’re asking for a table for two at Craig’s is disgusting. Here’s some more technical advice; if you know nothing about something, you should say nothing about it."
Brody previously told GQ that he supports a free Palestine and expressed concern over the ongoing conflict, saying, "Put me down as thinking it’s a genocide. Put me down as wanting a free Palestine. It’s awful that it’s taken so much death and misery, but it does feel like it’s reaching a breaking point that it should have a while ago."
The exchange comes as the series prepares to launch its third season on October 22, and follows broader public debate over the characterization of the Gaza conflict, which some international bodies have described as genocide while others dispute the label.