Debra Messing Seeking Israeli Citizenship: “Despite All the Missiles, I Feel Safest in Israel”

Messing and Israel

American Jewish actress Debra Messing, best known for her role as Grace Adler on the hit sitcom Will & Grace, is reportedly seeking Israeli citizenship after becoming one of Hollywood’s most outspoken pro-Israel voices following October 7.

Messing said she has already applied for dual citizenship and described Israel as the place where she feels most secure.

“There was a point when I felt that the United States was no longer safe, especially New York,” Messing said. “When I am in Israel, it is home, and despite all the missiles, that is where I feel safest.”

From Hollywood Star to Jewish Advocate

Messing has long been known as a prominent actress and public figure in the United States. Her role on Will & Grace made her one of the most recognizable faces on American television and helped turn the show into a major cultural success.

But since the October 7 massacre, Messing has taken on a different public role: using her platform to speak about antisemitism, defend Israel, and call attention to the hostages and victims of Hamas terrorism.

She has traveled to Israel, met with survivors and soldiers, and publicly criticized the silence she said she felt from parts of the entertainment industry.

Messing, who has historically identified with the Democratic Party, said she was shocked by the response from people she expected to stand with Israel after the massacre.

“I really expected the Hollywood community to stand with me,” she said. “My entire career, I was part of this liberal, inclusive community. I felt betrayed and abandoned. I felt completely alone, and I lost so many friends.”

Feeling Safest in Israel

For Messing, the issue is no longer only political. It is personal, Jewish, and tied to a deeper sense of belonging.

Her comments reflect a feeling many Jews around the world have described since October 7: that Israel, even under missile fire, can still feel like the safest place to be openly Jewish.

That is what makes her statement so striking. Messing is not speaking as an Israeli politician or activist. She is speaking as an American Jewish actress who says the last three years changed how she understands safety, identity, and home.

In her words, despite the missiles, Israel is where she feels safest.