01In brief
Michael Rapaport is an American actor, comedian, and pro-Israel advocate whose career in film and television spans about 35 years. He is recognized by Israeli audiences for his role as Gary, Phoebe's streetwise police-officer boyfriend on Season 5 of Friends, as well as for appearances in Atypical, Life & Beth, and Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite. Following the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, Rapaport emerged as one of Hollywood's most vocal Jewish advocates, using social media, podcasts, and appearances at major pro-Israel rallies to speak out against antisemitism and demand the release of hostages held in Gaza — a transformation that took him from a self-described "lox and bagels Jew" who had never visited Israel to a figure who had made five trips to the country within a year of the attack.
02Early Life and Jewish Identity
Rapaport grew up on Manhattan's Upper East Side, describing his upbringing as that of a "very classic New York lox and bagels Jew."[1] While his brother attended Hebrew school, Rapaport was expelled from it — an early signal of a Jewish identity he characterized as proud but largely uninvolved for much of his adult life.[1] His father, he recalled, taught him to stand up for himself rather than tolerate antisemitic abuse, a lesson that would shape his later public stance.[1]
03Career in Film and Television
Over a career described as spanning 35 years, Rapaport has appeared in dozens of films and television series.[1] He is perhaps best known to Israeli audiences for playing Gary, Phoebe's streetwise, pigeon-shooting police-officer boyfriend in several episodes of Season 5 of Friends.[1] His other credits include the television series Atypical and Life & Beth, and the Woody Allen film Mighty Aphrodite.[1]
Rapaport has also built a parallel career as a stand-up comedian. He was scheduled to make his Israeli stand-up debut with performances on October 13, 2024, at the Jerusalem Theater and October 14 at Beit HaChayal in Tel Aviv.[2] He described his show as focused on making audiences laugh while incorporating his experiences as a Jewish man during the year following October 7, acknowledging that weaving in Israel and the war was difficult but necessary.[2]
04Legacy and Public Impact
Rapaport said one of his first major public interventions on Jewish issues followed the 2017 white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, where marchers chanted "Jews will not replace us."[1] He subsequently spoke out against antisemitic comments associated with Kanye West.[1]
The Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, proved the decisive turning point. Rapaport said he was shocked on October 8 to witness people in New York celebrating while the attack was still ongoing: "I was stunned by the reaction on October 8. The Hamas massacre was still going on, but there were people celebrating in New York."[1] He said that reaction energized and triggered his subsequent advocacy.[1]
In the months after October 7, Rapaport flooded social media with dozens — possibly hundreds — of video posts, produced weekly podcasts, and delivered speeches in Washington, D.C., and Tel Aviv.[1] He participated in the November 2023 March for Israel on the National Mall and, in June 2024, appeared at AJC Global Forum 2024 in Washington alongside Aviva Klompas, co-founder of Boundless Israel, to discuss social-media advocacy for Israel and the global Jewish community amid anti-Jewish hate and misinformation.[3] By September 2024 his Instagram following stood at approximately 2 million; earlier that year, in May 2024, he had nearly 690,000 Twitter followers.[1][2]
05Visits to Israel
Before October 7, 2023, Rapaport had never visited Israel.[1] He and his wife had been planning a first trip for December 2023; after the attack they initially reconsidered, then reversed course and resolved to go as soon as possible.[1]
Their first visit began on December 12, 2023.[4] He went directly to Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, where families of those abducted on October 7 had created exhibits publicizing their plight.[4] He also met with hostage families and mourners and visited Kibbutz Be'eri, the site of one of the attack's worst massacres.[2] During the same trip, he taped an appearance on the Israeli satirical television program Eretz Nehederet at the Keshet studios in Herzliya, appearing alongside Alma Zack, Liat Harlev, and Yuval Semo.[4]
He appeared in two sketches on Eretz Nehederet: one satirizing the perceived apathy of the American film industry toward Israel, and another — called the "Hogwarts Code of Ethics" — addressing the congressional testimony on campus antisemitism given by the presidents of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and MIT.[1] Rapaport said he was proud to participate and praised the show's writers and crew for producing the material quickly.[1]
By September 2024, Rapaport had reportedly made five trips to Israel.[2] As of May 2024, his first two visits had totaled approximately six weeks.[1] He said he kept returning because he wanted to stand with his people, support Israel, and ensure that the hostages, the Israel Defense Forces, and those affected by October 7 were not forgotten.[2] At a Washington rally before his first trip, he said, "I've never felt this prideful to be Jewish in my life." "Israel is not going anywhere."[4]
06Controversies and Opposition
Rapaport's outspoken advocacy has attracted organized pushback. Two sold-out stand-up performances he had scheduled in Madison, Wisconsin, were canceled by the venue amid threats from pro-Palestinian demonstrators.[1] Asked whether his activism might damage his career in the entertainment industry, he said he believed that standing up for Israel and Jews was the right thing to do and that he intended to continue regardless.[1]
Sources
- 1The Jerusalem Post (accessed September 8, 2026)
- 2The Jewish Chronicle of Pittsburgh (accessed September 8, 2026)
- 3American Jewish Committee (accessed September 8, 2026)
- 4The Jerusalem Post (accessed September 8, 2026)
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
Who is Michael Rapaport?
Michael Rapaport is an American actor, comedian, and pro-Israel advocate whose career in film and television spans about 35 years. He is recognized by Israeli audiences for his role as Gary, Phoebe's streetwise police-officer boyfriend on Season 5 of Friends, as well as for appearances in Atypical, Life & Beth, and Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite. Following the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, Rapaport emerged as one of Hollywood's most vocal Jewish advocates, using social media, podcasts, and appearances at major pro-Israel rallies to speak out against antisemitism and demand the release of hostages held in Gaza.
What was Michael Rapaport's Jewish identity like before October 7, 2023?
Rapaport grew up on Manhattan's Upper East Side and described his upbringing as that of a "very classic New York lox and bagels Jew" — proud of his Jewish identity but largely uninvolved in Jewish life for much of his adult life. He was expelled from Hebrew school as a child, while his brother attended it. Before October 7, 2023, he had never visited Israel.
What triggered Michael Rapaport's pro-Israel activism?
The Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, proved the decisive turning point in Rapaport's public advocacy. He said he was stunned to witness people in New York celebrating while the attack was still ongoing on October 8, and that reaction energized and triggered his subsequent activism. In the months that followed, he flooded social media with dozens — possibly hundreds — of video posts, produced weekly podcasts, and delivered speeches in Washington, D.C., and Tel Aviv.
What did Michael Rapaport do during his first visit to Israel?
Rapaport's first visit to Israel began on December 12, 2023. He went directly to Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, where families of those abducted on October 7 had created exhibits publicizing their plight, and he met with hostage families and mourners. He also visited Kibbutz Be'eri, the site of one of the attack's worst massacres, and taped an appearance on the Israeli satirical television program Eretz Nehederet at the Keshet studios in Herzliya.
How many times did Michael Rapaport visit Israel in the year following the October 7 attack?
By September 2024, Rapaport had reportedly made five trips to Israel since the October 7, 2023 attack — a significant change for someone who had never visited the country before. As of May 2024, his first two visits alone had totaled approximately six weeks. He said he kept returning because he wanted to stand with his people, support Israel, and ensure that the hostages, the Israel Defense Forces, and those affected by October 7 were not forgotten.
Has Michael Rapaport's pro-Israel advocacy faced any backlash?
Rapaport's outspoken advocacy has attracted organized pushback. Two sold-out stand-up performances he had scheduled in Madison, Wisconsin, were canceled by the venue amid threats from pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Asked whether his activism might damage his career in the entertainment industry, he said he believed that standing up for Israel and Jews was the right thing to do and that he intended to continue regardless.