Javier Bardem, the Spanish actor and Oscar winner known for his roles in No Country for Old Men, Skyfall, and F1, appeared at the Emmy Awards wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh, using the global platform to voice strong criticism of the Zionist regime’s actions in Gaza.
When asked about his choice of attire, Bardem stated: “At the end of August, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), the world’s largest professional association of experts on genocide, officially recognized the situation in Gaza as genocide. We are calling for commercial and diplomatic sanctions against Israel to halt this genocide. Free Palestine”.
The IAGS, in a three-page resolution, detailed the actions of the Israeli regime that meet the UN definition of genocide, including widespread attacks on healthcare and educational institutions, the killing and injury of tens of thousands of children, near-total destruction of homes, forced expulsions, and dehumanizing rhetoric against Palestinians.
Bardem’s statement comes amid a growing movement within the global entertainment industry protesting the actions of Israel in Gaza. More than 1,300 international artists and public figures, including Olivia Colman, Tilda Swinton, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Riz Ahmed, and Bardem himself, have pledged not to collaborate with any Israeli film institutions implicated in what they describe as “genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people”.
The pledge, organized by Filmmakers for Palestine, emphasizes the influential role of cinema in shaping public perception and urges the industry to reject silence, racism, and complicity in human rights violations. Signatories include prominent figures such as Ken Loach, Yórgos Lánthimos, Susan Sarandon, Lily Gladstone, Brian Cox, and Gael García Bernal.
