A Hamas-affiliated publication praised HBO actor Hannah Einbinder for saying "free Palestine" at the end of her Emmy acceptance speech while simultaneously publishing a photo of her with her chest and shoulders blurred out.
Einbinder, who won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks, concluded her remarks on Sunday at the Emmys by saying, "Go Birds, f**k ICE, and free Palestine." CBS, which broadcast the ceremony, muted the expletive live on air. The actress later told The Wrap that, as a Jewish person, she felt an obligation "to distinguish Jews from the State of Israel," a motivation she said informed her remarks.
Quds News Network, a Gaza-based outlet aligned with Hamas, posted on X that Einbinder had explained her decision and praised her statement. The post appeared with a photo of Einbinder in a strapless gown in which her chest and shoulders were digitally blurred. Conservative and Islamist interpretations of modesty typically discourage women from showing bare shoulders in public; since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, human rights groups and observers have reported restrictions on women's dress and behavior there, though Hamas has at times denied imposing a strict dress code.
Einbinder, the daughter of former Saturday Night Live cast member Laraine Newman and writer-director Chad Einbinder, has said she signed an open letter this month, along with thousands of other entertainment-industry workers, pledging not to work with Israeli institutions and companies they say are "implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people." According to reporting, roughly 3,900 people had signed the letter by the time of the Emmys. Paramount Global, which owns CBS, issued a statement earlier this month saying it did not support efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers and argued that "silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace."
The Emmys night saw other celebrities voice support for Palestinians. Actor Javier Bardem, wearing a black-and-white keffiyeh on the red carpet, told Variety that he was denouncing what he called genocide in Gaza and urged support for a commercial and diplomatic blockade and sanctions on Israel. Bardem said he and others are organizing a group called Film Workers for Palestine and emphasized that the effort is not intended to target individuals by identity.
Einbinder’s remark and the Quds News post came amid heightened debate in Hollywood over political speech, boycotts and the role of entertainers in international conflicts. Viewers on social media noted the political content of the telecast and also questioned which events and deaths, including the recent shooting death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, received public acknowledgment during the ceremony. Some commentators criticized the absence of a moment of silence or tribute on the broadcast; others defended the performers’ choices to address a range of issues.
The exchange highlights a confluence of cultural and political dynamics: artists using high-profile platforms to make statements about the Israel-Hamas war, differing responses from media and corporate entities, and contrasting norms about modesty and image treatment in outlets aligned with different political and religious authorities. Officials at Quds News Network did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and representatives for Einbinder did not provide additional comment beyond her interview statements to The Wrap and prior public remarks.
The incidents around the Emmys underscore ongoing tensions in the entertainment industry over activism and corporate responses as advocacy related to the war in Gaza intensifies among artists, unions and studios.