Zach Sage Fox, a comedian and social media influencer, traveled to the West Bank to investigate Palestinian support for Hamas. His journey nearly cost him his life.
Earlier this year, Fox gained attention with his viral “Gaza Graduation” video, showcasing anti-Israel protesters in New York City struggling to answer fundamental questions about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Since the terror attacks on October 7, he has aimed to educate his followers and recently conducted his distinctive street interviews in the West Bank, a region Palestinians hope to establish as an independent state alongside the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Fox, identifying as a proud Jewish American, was in Israel to produce content when he was approached by a member of his team with the chance to enter the West Bank with a Muslim producer and cameraman. Aware of the risks, he was intrigued as American journalists seldom have unrestricted access to Palestinians.
“Israelis are literally not permitted into Palestine; they can’t enter the West Bank. However, I’m not Israeli; I’m an American Jew, and my passport doesn’t state ‘Jew.’ So, I was advised, ‘As long as you don’t identify as Jewish, they won’t harm you immediately,’” Fox shared with Fox News Digital.
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Zach Sage Fox traveled to the West Bank to investigate Palestinian support for Hamas.
“I looked at myself in the mirror that night and thought, ‘I could probably pass for Italian,’” Fox recounted. “I decided to take the risk.”
To prepare for the risky venture, Fox stripped away his usual flashy style, ditching jewelry and nail polish, and dressed in the most “masculine” outfit he could find. He opted not to inform most friends and family in America about his plans, acknowledging they would likely dissuade him.
Upon entering the West Bank, Fox told anyone inquiring that he was Italian American and crossed the border without any issues, which he found “somewhat surprising.”
His adventure in the West Bank commenced with a prearranged interview with an individual described by his Muslim producer as “very smart and civil” and “somewhat moderate,” who held a Master’s Degree and spoke good English. They met at a café in Ramallah, the Palestinian “capital” near Jerusalem.
The man denied that “innocent Israelis” were killed in the October 7 attacks, voiced support for Hamas, and even claimed that rape had not occurred during the brutal attacks.
“I quickly realized, if this is considered one of the more educated individuals, I was in for a serious shock,” Fox said.
Afterward, he ventured out onto the streets of Ramallah, conducting spontaneous interviews. However, Fox noted that “things became contentious very quickly” once he began speaking with locals.
“It was a continuous stream of love and support for Hamas,” Fox observed.
“I specifically targeted younger individuals, thinking I might find at least one person who didn’t support Hamas. But they all did,” he continued. “The range of feelings went from sympathy to outright admiration for Hamas… I was expecting to encounter at least some individuals who weren’t staunch Hamas supporters, but I couldn’t find anyone.”
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Zach Sage Fox has recently conducted his popular man-on-the-street interviews in the West Bank. (@zachsagefox)
Fox encountered several individuals in the West Bank who eagerly voiced their support for Hamas and proclaimed that Israeli hostages should not be released. Things escalated when he attempted to interview a woman who wore a full head covering.
“A Palestinian man approached and began yelling in Arabic, and my translator and producer informed me he was quite upset,” Fox recounted.
Fox remembered the man shouting about “modesty” and that women shouldn’t represent all Palestinians. Despite trying to dismiss the man, he became increasingly agitated and started calling for additional support from other Palestinian men.
“They began yelling in Arabic, and I was still trying to remain professional and continue interviewing people. Eventually, my producer warned me he was threatening us if we didn’t erase the footage. I’ve never experienced anything like that in my career… nobody has threatened violence before,” Fox expressed.
“That threat quickly escalated into death threats,” he added, noting that he initially resisted and refused to delete any footage, but as the situation intensified, “the Arabic grew louder, and more men gathered.”
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Zach Sage Fox reported widespread support for Hamas in the West Bank. (@zachsagefox)
Fox acknowledged he might be “crazy” for pushing back against the threats, but ultimately decided to heed his Muslim cameraman’s warnings about their safety.
“I eventually caved because my cameraman expressed he was terrified for our lives… we deleted several segments of footage in front of him,” he said.
“Then my producer and cameraman grabbed my arm, and we hastily ran to the car, which was quite an eye-opening experience,” he recounted. “We managed to escape Palestine… thankfully, they didn’t follow us to the vehicle.”
Fox enlisted an IT team that was able to recover some of the footage, and the interviews that succeeded in being salvaged resulted in the viral “Wild West Bank” video. Despite losing some valuable content, he expressed relief at being out alive and pleased to have gathered enough material to create an impactful story.
The “Wild West Bank” video has accumulated over 4.7 million views on X alone.
Fox mentioned that many Jewish individuals refrain from calling the West Bank “Palestine,” but he chose to use that term in his video and discussions for “kumbaya purposes.”
“It’s evident that Palestinians reside there, and I aspire for a two-state solution, at least from my perspective. However, upon arrival, I realized that dream feels more elusive than ever,” Fox remarked.
Last month, the State Department advised Americans to avoid the West Bank due to “terrorism and civil unrest.”
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Contributions to this report were made by Fox News Digital’s Alaba Cuebas-Fantauzzi.
