Rob Schneider gives a speech at Turning Point’s America Fest 2025 held at the Phoenix Convention Center, in Phoenix Arizona on Dec. 19, 2025. Photo: Laura Brett/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect

Comedic actor Rob Schneider talked about ignorance and “selective outrage” and empathy in Hollywood regarding the Hamas-led terrorist attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during a recent interview.

Schneider, whose father was Jewish and mother was Filipino Catholic, made the comments last week during a guest appearance on the podcast “Heretics,” hosted by British journalist and author Andrew Gold. “The Hot Chick” star and comedian, 62, began talking about the Oct. 7 massacre after Gold mentioned in passing Spanish actor Javier Bardem and non-genuine empathy expressed by members of the Hollywood film industry. Bardem has been publicly critical of Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the Hamas-led terrorist attack, in which more than 1,200 people were murdered and 251 hostages were kidnapped.

“It’s a bummer. When you look at somebody of his talent, Javier Bardem, he’s a huge talent, and I’ve met him. He’s a nice man,” the “Saturday Night Live” alum began by saying. “But like — they’re just ignorant. I hate to say that, but some of the actors that I’ve really admired over the years – and we’re all ignorant just on different subjects – but, my goodness, to be ignorant of like the Hamas massacre, the brutality of the Israelis that were murdered that day and kidnapped.”

The “Grown Ups” star said if the United States had faced a similar attack, there would be no doubt about the country’s right to defend itself and respond. Schneider said if Canadians had invaded the US from Toronto and launched an attack on the same scale as the Oct. 7 massacre, “Toronto would have been leveled in 48 hours in an unceremonious way.”

“The idea that the Israelis are supposed to do nothing … and there’s no army in the world that worked harder to try to limit the casualties from civilians. Nobody. No one would do that,” he added. “But if you’re gonna shoot rockets from a hospital and from a school, you’re going to put yourself and the people in that place in jeopardy.”

Hamas regularly embeds its terrorists within Gaza’s civilian population and commandeers civilian facilities like hospitals, schools, and mosques to run operations and direct attacks, according to military experts and the Israel Defense Forces.

Seemingly referring to Hamas, the “Deuce Bigalow” star described the US-designated terrorist organization as a “soulless evil group who did manipulate world opinion” and successfully managed to turn many people against Israel, including celebrities.

“I always tweet out, ‘What about Nigeria? The Christians being massacred in Nigeria? Do you not [care]? It’s selective outrage, selective empathy and very self-serving,” said the Trump supporter.

Schneider then talked about “scapegoating” and the alarming rise in antisemitism, which he has also spoken about on social media. “There is a rise in evil and there is an anger in the populous. Anytime the culture feels stuck, there is scapegoating. And scapegoating is a real sign of evil,” he said. “There is horrible antisemitism that people feel. The hatred is just spewing.”

Schneider also talked on the podcast about his longtime friend Adam Sandler, his last conversation with murdered pro-Israel conservative activist Charlie Kirk, cancel culture, and feeling blacklisted in Hollywood because of his political views. “They want diversity of look, but not diversity of thought or ideas,” he said. “You’re out, once you don’t go along with that.”

“What we need to do is like what Charlie Kirk offered, which is like, if you disagree with me, come to the front of the line [and] let’s have a conversation. Let’s have debate. Let’s talk about things,” Schneider said. “And like Charlie said, when conversation stops, that’s when the violence begins.”

The veteran actor has stirred controversy with some of his recent social media posts about Islam, which include claims about an “Islamic threat” and “Muslim takeover” in the US, specifically in Texas.