Swara Bhasker

Swara Bhasker, an Indian actress and vocal social media activist, has consistently expressed strong support for Palestine and criticism of Israel genocide in Gaza. Her views are prominently featured in her X bio, which includes “Free Palestine! 🇵🇸,” and she has shared numerous posts, statements, and participations in protests over the years. Below is a summary of her key opinions based on her public statements and actions, focusing on Palestine and Gaza. These reflect her stance as an anti-imperialist, anti-colonial, and anti-apartheid advocate for Palestinian rights, while condemning violence on all sides but emphasizing Israel’s role in the ongoing crisis.

Early Support and Historical Context (2010–2021)

• Bhasker has been involved in pro-Palestine activism since at least 2010, when she participated in the “Asia to Gaza” solidarity march en route to Gaza. She has shared photos from this time, describing Gaza as an “open-air jail” due to Israel’s blockade since 2007, which she says has caused immense economic and human suffering.
• In May 2021, amid escalating violence in East Jerusalem and Gaza (including Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 20 people), she labeled Israel an “apartheid state” and “terrorist state.” She emphasized that the Palestinian cause is not solely an “Islamic” issue but an “anti-imperialist, anti-colonial, and anti-apartheid” one that should concern everyone, regardless of religion. She shared a photo of herself flashing a middle finger at the Israeli “wall” in Gaza’s buffer zone, highlighting the blockade’s impact.

Response to the October 7, 2023

• Following the  October 7, 2023, Bhasker condemned the violence but called out what she described as “hypocritical” reactions from those shocked by Hamas without acknowledging Israel’s “unending atrocities” on Palestinians. In an Instagram Stories post, she listed grievances including the forcible occupation of Palestinian homes, forced evictions, settler violence, murder of Palestinian children and teenagers, decades-long blockade and bombing of Gaza (including schools and hospitals), and the broader apartheid and occupation. She argued that Palestinian lives matter as much as Israeli lives and that moral outrage should not depend on the victims’ identity.
• She explicitly stated she does not condone Hamas’s actions, noting that Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by major powers, but accused Israel of using the attacks as a pretext to “annihilate the civilian population of Gaza.” In an X post, she urged people to listen to a British-Palestinian doctor in Gaza describing the situation as a “massacre” and “genocide” enabled by unconditional Western support for Israel.
• As a new mother (her daughter Raabiya was born in September 2023), Bhasker shared an emotional post empathizing with Gaza’s children “being killed every day under an imprisoned sky.” She wondered how she could protect her own child if born in Gaza, calling for Palestinian lives to be valued equally.

• Ongoing Advocacy (2024–2025)

  • In March 2024, she rejected calls for “balanced” or “neutral” responses to the conflict, describing Israel’s actions as “unadulterated evil” and a “genocide” that horrifies the soul.
  • After the May 2024 Israeli strike on a Rafah tent camp (killing at least 45 displaced Palestinians, many burned alive), Bhasker joined other Indian celebrities in supporting the “All Eyes on Rafah” campaign on Instagram. She shared posts condemning the attack, calling for a ceasefire, and criticizing the world for expecting “balanced” responses to the deaths of babies and children. She has amplified calls to halt Israel’s military offensive in Rafah, as ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
  • In October 2024, following the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israeli forces, Bhasker called him a “revolutionary hero” after viewing footage of his final moments. She urged followers to listen to his “last words” and remain unmoved by his will, framing his death as part of the broader Palestinian struggle against the “Zionist State.”
  • In August 2025, she joined a Mumbai protest in solidarity with Palestine, stating the conflict did not start on October 7 and accusing Israel of aiming to “wipe Palestinians from the earth.” She emphasized speaking about Palestinian deaths alongside Israeli hostages and noted the human-made famine in Gaza City, as warned by UN-backed reports.
  • In June 2025, she urged Mumbaikars to attend a pro-Gaza rally at Azad Maidan organized by left-leaning groups to condemn “Israeli genocide” in Gaza and demand India revise its stance on the conflict. This drew backlash from some netizens, who criticized her for not addressing a terror attack in Pahalgam, India, and accused her of hypocrisy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reallyswara/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwaraBhaskar 

X: https://x.com/ReallySwara