Hannah Einbinder sparked controversy and support at the 2025 Emmy Awards with her remarks on Palestine. The Hacks star used her acceptance speech for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series to denounce U.S. immigration enforcement and call for solidarity with Palestinians. Her bold words quickly spread online, igniting widespread debate.
A Breakthrough Win
Einbinder, 30, received her first Emmy on Sunday at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. Accepting her award at the Peacock Theater, she thanked supporters briefly before delivering a political message.
“Go Birds, f*** ICE and Free Palestine,” she declared. “Birds” referred to her hometown team, the Philadelphia Eagles. The profanity was censored during the live broadcast, but uncensored clips circulated widely online.
Within hours, her speech attracted millions of views. A video posted by The Hollywood Reporter’s X account gathered more than 1.6 million views and tens of thousands of interactions.
A Defiant Gesture on Stage
The ceremony’s host, Nate Bargatze, included a gag limiting winners to 45 seconds. If they exceeded that time, a charity donation for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America would shrink. Einbinder surpassed the limit but refused to let that dampen her words. “I’ll pay the difference,” she said, drawing applause.
Alongside her statement, Einbinder wore an Artists4Ceasefire pin. Several other stars, including fellow Hacks actress Megan Stalter and actor Javier Bardem, joined in the gesture to show support for ending violence in Gaza.
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Explaining Her Stance
After leaving the stage, Einbinder addressed the press. She explained why she felt compelled to speak about Palestine during her speech.
“I thought it was important to talk about Palestine because it’s very dear to my heart,” she said. She added that she had friends working in Gaza under dire conditions, including doctors helping pregnant women and schoolchildren in refugee camps.
Einbinder stressed her identity as a Jewish woman shaped her perspective. “I feel like it is my obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the state of Israel. Our religion and culture are separate from an ethnonationalist state,” she stated.
On her Instagram Stories, she shared details about humanitarian workers she supports in Gaza. She described how medical staff were struggling to relocate clinics after heavy bombings. She also mourned the death of a doctor, Yara, who was killed alongside 30 family members. “They just want to live. They are angels dedicating their lives to service while surviving a genocide,” Einbinder wrote, urging her followers to donate to relief efforts.
Celebrity Voices at the Event
Einbinder was not alone in highlighting Gaza. Actor Javier Bardem also spoke on the red carpet. “How many hundreds of thousands of dead children need to suffer for people to wake up?” he asked. His comments echoed the urgency expressed by other artists calling for international action.
Backlash and Criticism
Despite applause from many, Einbinder’s words sparked harsh criticism. Hen Mazzig, author of The Wrong Kind of Jew: A Mizrahi Manifesto, strongly condemned her. Writing on X, he accused her of wasting a global platform.
“You had 30 seconds to inspire millions. You could have called for peace, condemned terror, and shown empathy for all victims. Instead, you went for applause lines and left Israelis and Palestinians where they were: bleeding,” Mazzig wrote.
Some viewers echoed his frustration. One user posted, “I loved Hacks, but I’m canceling my HBO subscription after Hannah Einbinder’s reckless remarks.” Others claimed she politicized her show and undermined her castmates.
Supporters Rally Online
Still, thousands defended her choice. Many praised her courage to use a Hollywood stage for activism.
“She’s on the right side of history,” wrote one supporter, adding crown emojis. Another user commented, “Way to go Hannah,” as posts praising her reached tens of thousands of likes and shares.
The polarized reaction underscored the political weight of her statement. For supporters, she amplified a silenced cause. For critics, she oversimplified a painful conflict.
The Power of the Stage
Einbinder’s Emmys speech demonstrates how celebrity platforms shape political conversations. Awards shows are typically glamorous celebrations of talent, but they also provide rare moments when artists address urgent global crises.
Her words highlighted two contentious issues: U.S. immigration enforcement and the war in Gaza. Both topics dominate international headlines and stir emotional reactions among diverse audiences.
As her comments continue to trend, the broader debate grows louder. Some demand accountability for Israel’s military actions, while others condemn Hamas’s role in the ongoing war. Between both sides, Einbinder’s act of defiance added fuel to a conversation that extends far beyond the entertainment industry.
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