Hollywood stars back boycott as Israel's minister targets film academy

"On the red carpet at the Emmy Awards Sunday, actor Javier Bardem wore a keffiyeh, a black and white Palestinian scarf. "Here I am today denouncing the genocide in Gaza," he told Variety."

"Bardem joined Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo and more than 4,000 others who signed the pledge organized by the group Film Workers for Palestine. This week, a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Israel has denied the charges and called the members of the commission "Hamas proxies." "I cannot work with somebody that's justify[ing] or support[ing] the genocide. I can't," Bardem said."

"Onstage, at the Emmys while accepting the award for outstanding supporting actress for a comedy, Hannah Einbinder shouted, "Free Palestine!" Backstage, Einbinder told reporters the boycott is meant to pressure the Israeli government to stop the war. "It's an issue that's very dear to my heart," she said. "I have friends in Gaza who are working as frontline workers, as doctors right now, to provide care for pregnant women and for school children, to create schools in the refugee camps. It is my obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the state of Israel.""

A-list Hollywood actors and filmmakers pledged a boycott of Israel's state-funded movie industry in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Javier Bardem wore a keffiyeh on the Emmy red carpet and publicly denounced the genocide in Gaza. More than 4,000 signatories joined a pledge organized by Film Workers for Palestine. A UN commission concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza; Israel denied the charges and criticized the commission. Signatories say they cannot work with those who justify or support the genocide and target companies deemed complicit. Hannah Einbinder shouted "Free Palestine" and said the boycott aims to pressure Israel to stop the war. Organizers said they drew inspiration from 1980s filmmakers who refused to screen films in apartheid South Africa.

Read at www.npr.org