Sean Penn faces backlash over his comparison of LA Wildfires to Gaza West ( Photo Credit – YouTube )
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Sean Penn has sparked backlash with a controversial comparison between the wildfires in Los Angeles and the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
During an emotional interview on Anderson Cooper 360, Penn, visibly upset, described the destructive fires in areas like Pacific Palisades and Altadena. However, it was his later remark calling the situation “Gaza West” that quickly ignited outrage online.
"It's all gone": Academy-Award winning actor and CORE co-founder Sean Penn talks about the fire damage in his hometown area, and shares details on the So-Cal Fire Fund to help those impacted. pic.twitter.com/YTUOWcZy6k
As Penn described the harrowing scene of burnt buildings and charred grounds, Penn struggled to find an appropriate comparison, eventually referencing Gaza in a way that quickly drew intense criticism from the public.
“We know that there are going to be wildfires in this area … so people do make a choice living in this area. But for the people living in, in particular, Pacific Palisades and Altadena and so on, this is so unexpected,” the 64-year-old told the host.
He added, “When you have the kind of winds that that we had, I don’t think mankind has come up with a solution to that is bigger and more powerful than us.”
“This is kind of been a worst case scenario concern of everyone in the area for a long time,” he managed to say. “It’s sort of, you know, it’s Gaza west up there,” the controversial actor added, alluding to the ongoing conflict and political unrest between Israel and Hamas.
This is Gaza right now. If you can talk and post about the wildfires in LA, you can talk about Israel burning Palestinians alive. Don’t look away. https://t.co/Q5KOSn9ree
Social media users were quick to call out the comparison, with many pointing out the stark differences between a natural disaster and a war zone.
“What a ridiculous comparison. One is a war zone due to Hamas’ genocidal massacre of Israeli citizens. The other is a natural disaster made worse by inept politicians,” one person tweeted.
Another wrote, “It’s awful what’s happened in L.A. but it’s not comparable to a war zone and the atrocities seen in Gaza.”
Sean Penn comparing Los Angeles wildfire to Gaza. It's awful what's happened in L.A but it's not comparable to a war zone and the atrocities seen in Gaza pic.twitter.com/ZclfUjXnGm
— Jamie CrookAppendixcancerkills! (@crookie1871) January 14, 2025
A third one penned, “Sean Penn on CNN right now just referred to LA as ‘Gaza West’ because I guess he wanted to give another reason for why he deserves to be tranquilized and fed to saltwater crocodiles.”
Sean Penn on CNN right now just referred to LA as “Gaza West” because I guess he wanted to give another reason for why he deserves to be tranquilized and fed to saltwater crocodiles
Sean Penn and His Profound Love for Making Bold Remarks
This is not the first time the actor has faced criticism for his outspoken views. Just last month, he publicly criticized the Academy for limiting artistic expression and decried the lack of diversity in this year’s Oscar nominations.
Sean Penn criticizes the Oscars for stifling creativity, calling the organizers cowards. He says he only gets excited when truly impactful films, like "The Florida Project" or "Emilia Perez," earn recognition. pic.twitter.com/wPjoFpnSRG
“The Academy have exercised really extraordinary cowardice when it comes to being part of the bigger world of expression, and in fact, have largely been part of limiting the imagination and very limiting of different cultural expressions,” Penn told reporters. “So I don’t… get very excited about what we’ll call the Academy Awards (except for) when a film like The Florida Project, or I’m Still Here, or, you know, Emilia Perez, of the things that are likely to happen this year.”
