Spanish Actor Javier Bardem Voices Support for Palestine on Emmys Red Carpet
The war in Gaza was certainly on the minds of some attendees at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.
Megan Stalter, one of the breakout stars of comedy hit “Hacks,” showed up casual in a white T-shirt and jeans, but her handbag did all the talking.
The black purse had white tape on it with a simple message: “Ceasefire!”
And Javier Bardem, a nominee for best supporting actor in a limited series for “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” wore a black and white keffiyeh around his neck.
“A lot of people are giving me their support in whispers, and I go, ‘Don't whisper, say it out loud,’” Bardem told AFP on the red carpet.
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor did not want to talk about his work on “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” but rather the ongoing Israeli genocidal war in Gaza.
“At the end of August, the IAGS, the International Association of Genocide Scholars who studied thoroughly the concept of genocide, called what is going on in Gaza today a genocide,” Bardem said. “And that’s why we ask for the commercial and diplomatic blockade and the sanctions on Israel to stop this genocide. Free Palestine.”
He continued: “We are getting together Film Workers for Palestine. It’s a great union (and) group that is getting more and more people attached. It’s also important to clarify to Paramount that we do not target individuals by their identity. That’s absolutely wrong. Don’t send that message, that is a wrong thing. What we target are those complicit film companies and institutions that are involved in whitewashing or justifying the genocide of Israel in Gaza and its apartheid regime. And we stand with those who fight and stand in solidarity with the oppressed.”
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Commenters on social media also praised the media outlet’s reporter for not shying away from the statement and instead inviting Bardem to expand on his views.
Meanwhile, best supporting actress Hannah Einbinder from “Hacks” used her victory speech to deliver a brief, but very much no-holds-barred statement that called for a free Palestine, slammed immigration raids in the US, and declared her support for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Source: Arab News
