Ceasefire call from Cate Blanchett

Oscar-winning film star Cate Blanchett voiced the call for a ceasefire in Gaza, which is under Israeli attack, as made by United Nations (UN) officials at the European Parliament (EP). The famous actress's words were met with applause by MEPs.

Cate Blanchett, a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, spoke at the opening of the EP General Assembly in Brussels.

Blanchett said, "I am not Syrian, Ukrainian, Yemeni, Afghan, South Sudanese, Israeli, Palestinian, or a politician. I am not even an expert. But I am a witness. In visiting refugees across the world, I have witnessed the impact of war on human lives, the violence, and the persecution."

Stating that they have been watching the violence that has been ongoing in Israel and Gaza for the last few weeks with fear, the Australian actress said, "The conflict has cost the lives of thousands of innocent people and continues to do so. This week, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, along with many other humanitarian organizations, called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the urgent release of civilians held hostage."

These words from Cate Blanchett received applause from the members of the European Parliament General Assembly.

Call to European lawmakers

Reminding that while what is happening in Gaza is in the news, other acts of violence are occurring in many parts of the world, Blanchett said that conflicts and violence continue in many places such as Ukraine, Sudan, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and the Sahel region, and that innocent people lose their lives and are displaced every time.

Blanchett asked EU countries, which she called upon to help refugees forced to leave their homes instead of building walls at their borders, to increase their efforts for humanitarian aid and for legal and safe arrivals to European countries.

Emphasizing that the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide has exceeded 114 million, that these people are looking for a place to take shelter, and that many are unwanted or even made into scapegoats, Blanchett noted the following:

"As we would want if we were in their shoes, these people want to return to their homes, their loved ones, their lands, and their families. I call on everyone here today, each and every one of you, to stand against the dangerous rhetoric that is spreading too widely and fueling fear and hostility regarding refugees setting out for Europe."

Stating that Europe is a place where people fleeing their countries to be protected from war, massacres, and persecution intersect, Blanchett continued:

"For centuries, many had their asylum requests denied. Or, even if they were accepted, they were accepted with suffering and met with suspicion, but many were welcomed. They were not only protected but also actively encouraged to contribute to the social, cultural, and economic life of the lands they now call home. They were able to practice their religions freely, provided with animals, tools, and seeds to sustain themselves, granted citizenship, and gradually absorbed in a beneficial way by the societies that embraced them. This mixed picture is also seen in Europe today."