The ongoing disastrous wildfire in Los Angeles has destroyed prominent Hollywood actor and director James Wood’s properties worth of billion dollars including his luxurious home.
In an emotional interview aired on CNN, Woods described the surreal moment of losing everything. “One day you’re swimming in the pool and the next day it’s all gone,” he said.
During the devastating fire, Woods saved his 94-year-old neighbour with dementia escape. He also spoke about his niece’s gesture who came out with her little Yeti piggy bank to help rebuild her home.
However, Woods’ moment of vulnerability quickly received a lot of backlash online primarily because of his history of making anti-Palestine comments.
In the past, Woods had posted provocative messages backing Israel’s bombardments in Gaza with hashtags “#KillThemAll, no ceasefire, no compromise”.
These past remarks resurfaced on social media with users comparing his current loss with the devastation happening in Gaza.
Palestinian advocates including famous poet Mosab Abu Toha challenged Woods personally questioning his rights to publicly mourn and express himself while supporting actions that led to numerous casualties of Palestinian civilians.
In a series of posts, Toha wrote, “Now, James Woods, do you know how it feels when we watched, and we still do, our homes in Gaza destroyed? When our loved ones got, and they still do, buried under the rubble of their homes? When we were, and we still are, run after and burnt in tents? When we don’t have a platform to speak and cry like you about our multiple losses? Losses that continue to occur for months? For years? Do you hear me, Mr. Woods”?.
“Have we wished you anything bad? Have our kids bothered you? Our physicians? Our mothers? Our students? Our homes”?
“When our house was bombed on October 28, 2023, I did not have a house or a safe place to go on the air and watch it bombed. I have not been able to return to the ruins of my house because my city is occupied. A friend of mine who was helping collect what we could find of the books was killed in January 2024. His name was Ma’rouf Al-Ashqar. He had a sweet voice and was an avid reader of Russian literature, especially Dostoevsky”, Toha wrote.
“Does this bother you? My aunt’s house was bombed in October 2024. Her daughter was killed along with another 15 people, many still under the rubble until now. Does this mean anything to you? How dare you get on the air and cry?!”, he added.
Some have described Woods’s tragedy as “poetic justice”. Scholar Omar Suleiman explained that Woods finding himself in such a position might help him reconsider the price people pay during a war.
“As Hollywood burns in the Palisades Fire let us remember how specimens like JamesWoods cheerleads US funding and arming of Israel to murder young men like Sha’ban al-Dalou, who was burnt down alive in a tent by Israeli bombardments, wrote one user.
Some users have posted aerial footage of Los Angeles that shows the extent of destruction caused by the wildfire comparing Gaza’s destruction caused by Israeli airstrikes and wrote, “Now the world understands the pain of Palestine”.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in over 46,000 Palestinian deaths, with more than 70 per cent being women and children, due to Israeli airstrikes and ground operations.
Wildfires that ravaged some of the most picturesque neighbourhoods in the Los Angeles area continued to grow as fire crews battled three major out-of-control blazes that killed at least 11 people so far.
Winds were easing and firefighters from across the state were relieving exhausted crews, but the danger was far from over. As officials provided an update on the fires, a new blaze broke out in the Hollywood Hills, and evacuation orders were also extended to Santa Monica.
More than 1,000 structures, mostly homes, have been destroyed, and over 130,000 people are under evacuation orders in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, a number that continues to shift as new fires erupt.
A thick smoke wafted over many parts of Los Angeles. At least seven schools in the area were either damaged or destroyed, officials said.
