Tovah Feldshuh, who plays Adam Brody’s mother on Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This,” has publicly disagreed with her co-star’s call for a “free Palestine,” widening a debate that has reached the show’s creator and one of its former advisers. Brody made the remarks to GQ last month. “Put me down as thinking it’s a genocide,” he said, adding that he wants a free Palestine. Brody plays Rabbi Noah Roklov and is Jewish. A representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Feldshuh’s remarks.
Feldshuh answered in a New York Post interview Sunday. She called accusing the Jewish people of genocide “wild” and said it was “right out of Hitler’s playbook.” She argued that it matters to the Jewish community when such charges come from Jewish people. Feldshuh also said Israel’s survival is vital to the democratic world. Earlier, on Jonathan Harounoff’s “UNscripted” podcast, she criticized unnamed people with large followings who use the same word.
Others have weighed in. Rabbi Steve Leder, a technical adviser on the first season, spoke out against Brody. Creator Erin Foster, who converted to Judaism before marrying and has said the show draws on her own relationship, took a measured line on a podcast. “I disagree with him, and that’s OK,” she said, calling the issue complicated.
Brody has defended his willingness to speak. He has said he has never ducked politics and answers the questions he is asked. Critics of his comments argue that a high-profile actor in a series about Jewish life carries added weight. Supporters of his position note that Jewish opinion on the war in Gaza is divided, and that opposition to Israeli military policy does not equal hostility to Jews.
Feldshuh played down any tension at work. She said her job, as both her character Bina and herself, is to love the people on set and be kind. She also pushed back on the suggestion that political friction had surfaced during production. The exchange comes as the show promotes its new run. Season three premiered on Netflix last week.
