Michael Douglas pays a solidarity visit to southern Israel

JERUSALEM (AP) — Actor Michael Douglas paid a solidarity visit Sunday to an Israeli kibbutz that was badly hit in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that sparked Israel's war against the militant Islamic group.

Douglas met with members of Kibbutz Be'eri and visited burned-out houses destroyed in the October 7 attack. Be'eri was one of the worst-hit communities. Around 100 people were killed and 30 others taken hostage.

Douglas said he met families of hostages and visited the scene of a music party where more than 300 people were killed.

He also met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who presented the actor with a necklace with an Israeli dog tag and a small pin with a yellow ribbon – symbols of solidarity with the dozens of hostages still held by Hamas.

“It is a very difficult time. You can feel the deep shock of this whole experience,” Douglas said, expressing hope that the hostages would soon be released.

Douglas also sharply attacked pro-Palestinian protesters on American universities, claiming that many of them had been “brainwashed.”

“If you try to talk to many of them, you don't get any information. There is a lack of knowledge,” he said.

Douglas is the latest in a series of American celebrities and politicians who have visited Israel since October 7, touring the southern area near the Gaza border.

The Associated Press