‘Guns & Moses’ Actor Mark Feuerstein Says He Stands with Israel in Fight against Iran
The actor who portrays a small-town rabbi in the upcoming film Guns & Moses says he stands with Israel in its fight against terrorism and believes the world is now a safer place following the blow to Iran's nuclear capabilities. Mark Feuerstein (Royal Pains, The West Wing) plays the lead character in Guns & Moses, which was inspired by real-life events and tells the story of a rabbi who takes up arms after his community is violently attacked. It also stars Dermot Mulroney, Neal McDonough, and Jake Busey. It hits theaters July 18.
"I stand with Israel in the Middle East," Feuerstein, who is Jewish, told Crosswalk Headlines.
Feuerstein made the comments two days after the United States military struck three Iranian nuclear sites, including one -- Fordow -- buried deep within a mountain. The strike was intended to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.
"You have a show of strength in order to achieve peace, as Benjamin Netanyahu said just [Sunday], and I believe that taking on Iran's nuclear facilities will, in the end, bring peace," Feuerstein said. "Both Israel and the United States have done a brave thing. I asked my friends recently who are not Jewish [and] everyone is breathing a little sigh of relief knowing that Iran doesn't have the nuclear capabilities that they had a week, two weeks ago."
Israel's fight for its very survival is personal for Feuerstein, whose cousin and her family in Israel survived the Oct. 7, 2023, attack from Hamas by hiding in a safe room.
"[Her husband] was holding the door against a Hamas terrorist who was pushing and pushing, trying to get through as one kid was on an iPad, one kid was, you know, crying, one kid was trying to sleep," he said. "Thank God they survived. But many were not so lucky."
The movie, he said, is "not simply a movie about gunslinging."
"Instead of just accepting that the other is hateful, [the rabbi] tries to engage one of those neo-Nazis and teach him the story of the Jewish people, the suffering that we've endured and that it's real."
Guns & Moses, Feuerstein said, feels like a cross "between Chinatown and The Chosen."
"This movie tells the story of a rabbi in a town in the high desert where there is anti-semitism, and there has been a murder, which seems antisemitic at first, but we're not sure who the killer is. Is it the neo-Nazi? Is it someone else? And I go on a quest to figure it out," he said.
Feuerstein cited a line from the movie: "In a town where there is no man, be the man."
"And I think that's a great message for times like these, where people are too often just following the edicts of their social media -- of TikTok and Instagram and Facebook, and not thinking for themselves," he said. "And this is about a character who not only thinks for himself, thinks for his community, and stands up for them."
Photo Credit: ©LB Entertainment
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published June 24, 2025.
