Emmys 2025: Javier Bardem Wears Keffiyeh, Other Stars Call For Ceasefire In Gaza

Television's biggest night was marked not only by glitz and accolades but also by pointed political statements, as several stars at this year's Emmy Awards used the stage and red carpet to demand an end to Israel's war in Gaza.

From symbolic fashion choices to fiery speeches, celebrities amplified calls for peace and solidarity with Palestinians.

Hannah Einbinder, who won Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy for her role in Hacks, set the tone by wearing a red Artists4Ceasefire pin. She was joined by fellow nominees and actors including White Lotus stars Aimee Lou Wood and Natasha Rothwell, Ruth Negga (Presumed Innocent), and Chris Perfetti (Abbott Elementary).

The pin, which has become a recurring sight at major Hollywood ceremonies, urges the US government to“call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost,” according to a report in The Guardian.

Meanwhile, Hacks star Megan Stalter carried a purse with the words“Cease Fire!” scrawled across it in bold marker.

Einbinder also made headlines with her acceptance speech, ending it with the words:“Go birds, (expletive) ICE and free Palestine,” just before music played her off stage.

Backstage, she explained her remarks further, citing her friends in Gaza working as doctors and educators in refugee camps:“It's an issue that's really close to my heart for many reasons. 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 longstanding institution that is really separate to the ethno-nationalist state.”

Einbinder, Bardem, and other stars including Ava DuVernay, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, and Tilda Swinton recently signed the Film Workers for Palestine pledge, vowing to boycott Israeli film institutions over their complicity in the war.

“Boycotting is an effective tool to create pressure on the powers that be to meet the moment,” Einbinder said, stating that the pledge targets institutions, not individuals.

Spanish actor Javier Bardem took things further, wearing a keffiyeh and telling reporters on the carpet that he“cannot work with someone who justifies or supports the genocide.”

He said:“I will never work with some companies now [who] are not condemning the genocide in Gaza. Me not getting jobs is absolutely irrelevant compared to what is going on there.”

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war in 2023, the Artists4Ceasefire movement has steadily gained momentum across Hollywood, with its signature red pins appearing at the Oscars, previous Emmys, and other global film events.

The collective says its mission is simple but urgent:“We lend our voices and our platforms to amplify the global call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the return of all hostages, and the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza. We stand for our common humanity and a future rooted in freedom, justice, dignity, and peace for all people.”

At this year's Emmys, the message was loud and clear: alongside the triumphs of television, many stars wanted the world to remember the suffering in Gaza, and to use their platforms to demand change.

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