Arnold Schwarzenegger addresses anti-semites in new speech: It's the path of the weak
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Actor-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger has issued an impassioned speech on Youtube addressing the rising tide of anti-semitism. The actor spoke directly with people who indulged in hate in the 12-minute-long video which was similar to his viral message last year when he addressed the people of Russia following the country's invasion of Ukraine.
“Despite all the things we might disagree about, my friends might say, ‘Arnold, don’t talk to those people, it’s not worth it,'” the actor can be heard saying in the video. “I don’t care what they say. I care about you. I think you’re worth it. I know that nobody’s perfect. I understand how people can fall into the trap of prejudice and hate.”
In the video, Schwarzenegger began his speech by vividly describing a tour he took of Auschwitz, where approximately 1.1 million Jews were killed by the German SS during World War II. He also mentioned his father, who was a member of the Nazi party.
“They fell for a horrible, loser ideology,” Schwarzenegger said. “They were lied to and misled into a path that ended in misery … they bought into the idea that the only way to make their lives better was to make other lives worse …. It breaks you … it is the path of the weak … there has never been a successful movement based on hate.”
The actor then addressed those who have embraced a hateful worldview, either due to their upbringing or due to being drawn into extremist online rabbit holes. Schwarzenegger encouraged them to improve themselves and their own lives rather than blame others and used one his favourite metaphors – struggling in the gym.
Watch Arnold Schwarzenegger's speech here:
“It’s easier to hate than it is to learn, it’s easier when somebody challenges you to get hurt feelings and to go find some echo chamber that will tell you you’re right and they’re wrong,” he says. “No matter how far you’ve gone, you still have a chance to choose a life of strength … You have to fight the war against yourself … The other path is easier – you don’t have to change anything, everything in your life that you aren’t happy about can be somebody else’s fault … You will end up broken. I don’t want you to go through all that.”
The actor's address comes after the US has been witnessing increasing incidents of violence and vandalism against Jews across the country. A new survey from the American Jewish Committee found that 69 per cent of American Jewish adults said they either witnessed or were targeted by antisemitism online, particularly on Twitter and Facebook.
