Hannah Einbinder, who won her first Emmy on Sunday for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, concluded her acceptance speech with the words "Go Birds, f--- ICE, and free Palestine," a declaration that was partially muted during the CBS broadcast and quickly picked up across social and international media.
The remarks drew attention from Quds News Network, a media outlet aligned with Hamas, which published a post praising Einbinder’s statement while sharing a photograph of the actress in which her exposed shoulders and décolletage were visibly blurred. The image editing was notable because the outlet simultaneously highlighted her support for the Palestinian cause.
Einbinder, a star of the HBO comedy Hacks and the daughter of comedian Laraine Newman and writer-director Chad Einbinder, told The Wrap after the ceremony that her decision to say "free Palestine" reflected her view as a Jewish person. "I feel like it is my obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the State of Israel, because our religion and our culture is such an important and long standing … institution that is really separate to this sort of ethno-nationalist state," she said.
The actor’s comment came amid a wave of activism in the entertainment industry following the October 2023 Gaza war. Earlier this month, thousands of entertainers and film workers signed an open letter pledging they would not work with Israeli institutions and film companies they say are "implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people." The signatory list has grown to include several thousand names, according to organizers.
Paramount, the parent company of CBS, issued a response opposing the boycott efforts, saying in a statement that it did not "agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers" and that "silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace."
Javier Bardem was among other actors who spoke about the issue on the Emmys red carpet. The Oscar winner, wearing a black-and-white keffiyeh, urged support for the pro-Palestine movement and said he was denouncing what he called a genocide in Gaza, citing findings from the International Association of Genocide Scholars. Bardem said he and other industry members are organizing under the banner Film Workers for Palestine and called for a commercial and diplomatic blockade and sanctions on Israel, while urging that actions be targeted at institutions rather than individuals.
Quds News Network’s decision to blur Einbinder’s photograph drew attention because it mirrored social and cultural norms in parts of the region where showing bare shoulders in public is often considered immodest; such norms have been subject to debate and scrutiny since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. The outlet described Einbinder’s speech and reposted her explanation of distinguishing between Judaism and the Israeli state.
The Emmys telecast included other political remarks on the red carpet and in interviews, and the ceremony itself was watched by viewers who noted what was and was not addressed during the show. Some social media users criticized the program for not acknowledging the recent killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed during an event earlier in the week; no tribute was made during the Emmys ceremony.
Political statements at awards shows have a recent history of prompting debate about the role of entertainers in public discourse, and the Emmys’ mix of applause, broadcast edits and international coverage underscored the global attention such moments can draw. Einbinder’s brief closing line generated responses ranging from public praise to criticism and illustrated how a few seconds on a major awards stage can reverberate across cultural and political conversations.