The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, held on September 14, 2025, at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater, became an unexpected stage for one of the entertainment industry’s most divisive debates: the global movement to boycott Israeli film institutions over the ongoing war in Gaza. As stars walked the red carpet, the glitz and glamour of television’s biggest night collided with impassioned calls for justice, political protest, and deeply personal statements about the role of art in times of conflict.
At the heart of the controversy is the Film Workers for Palestine pledge, a campaign that has drawn more than 4,000 signatories—including actors Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, and Javier Bardem—committing not to work with Israeli film companies they deem “complicit in genocide.” The pledge, which organizers say targets institutions rather than individuals, was thrust into the spotlight when Bardem, nominated for his performance in “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” arrived at the Emmys wearing a keffiyeh scarf and made his position unmistakably clear.
“Here I am today, denouncing the genocide in Gaza,” Bardem told Variety’s Marc Malkin on the red carpet, referencing the International Association of Genocide Scholars’ declaration that the conflict constitutes genocide. “That’s why we ask for a commercial and diplomatic blockade and also sanctions on Israel to stop the genocide. Free Palestine.” Bardem’s remarks, echoed in interviews with The Hollywood Reporter, underscored his unwavering stance: “I cannot work with someone that justifies or supports the genocide. That’s as simple as that. We shouldn’t be able to do that, in this industry or any other industry.”
The Film Workers for Palestine pledge, which gained momentum in the week leading up to the Emmys, was signed by a roster of prominent filmmakers and actors, including Yorgos Lanthimos, Ava DuVernay, Asif Kapadia, Emma Seligman, Boots Riley, Adam McKay, Olivia Colman, Ayo Edebiri, Mark Ruffalo, Riz Ahmed, Tilda Swinton, Lily Gladstone, Hannah Einbinder, Gael Garcia Bernal, Melissa Barrera, and Emma Stone. The pledge specifically calls out Israeli film institutions and companies “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people,” citing examples such as “whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them.”
Yet, the campaign has not gone unchallenged. Paramount Studios, now owned by Larry Ellison, issued a public statement on September 12, 2025, explicitly condemning the boycott. “At Paramount, we believe in the power of storytelling to connect and inspire people, promote mutual understanding, and preserve the moments, ideas, and events that shape the world we share. This is our creative mission,” the statement read. “We do not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers. Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace. The global entertainment industry should be encouraging artists to tell their stories and share their ideas with audiences throughout the world. We need more engagement and communication—not less.”
Paramount’s response quickly drew a pointed rebuttal. In a statement to TheWrap, Film Workers for Palestine accused the studio of “intentionally misrepresenting the pledge in an attempt to silence our colleagues in the film industry.” The group insisted, “The pledge and the accompanying FAQs clearly state that the targets are complicit Israeli film institutions and companies, given their pervasive involvement in whitewashing or justifying Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its apartheid regime against all Palestinians.”
The group’s statement went further, drawing attention to Ellison’s personal ties to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. “Paramount’s new owner, Larry Ellison, has a well-documented, close relationship with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” the group stated, referencing reports of Netanyahu vacationing on Ellison’s Hawaiian island and being offered a seat on Oracle’s board.
Film Workers for Palestine likened their initiative to the historic movement to end apartheid in South Africa. “Almost two years into Israel’s genocide in Gaza, with seemingly no end in sight, a rapidly growing number of film workers are recognising that withdrawing their participation from an evil system, to paraphrase Martin Luther King Jr, is an essential duty they can no longer ignore.” The statement concluded with a call for Israeli film institutions to “end complicity in Israel’s genocide and apartheid, and endorse the full rights of the Palestinian people under international law, in line with Palestinian civil society guidelines.”
Hannah Einbinder, who won best supporting actress in a comedy for “Hacks,” added her voice to the evening’s chorus of protest. Ending her acceptance speech with “Free Palestine,” she later told reporters backstage, “I have friends in Gaza who are working as frontline workers, as doctors, right now in the north of Gaza, to provide care for pregnant women, and for schoolchildren to create schools in the refugee camps.” She explained her commitment to the pledge, calling it “an effective tool to create pressure on the powers that be to meet the moment.” Einbinder, who is Jewish, emphasized the importance of distinguishing Jewish identity from the actions of the Israeli state: “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 this sort of ethno-nationalist state.”
Not all voices at the Emmys were aligned with the boycott. Emily Austin, a US social media influencer, appeared on the red carpet with a yellow ribbon on her purse—a symbol of solidarity with the 48 hostages still held in Gaza. Her gesture, alongside a Star of David, stood in sharp contrast to the boycott campaign and was widely shared on social media as a counterpoint to the evening’s pro-Palestinian messaging.
Israel, for its part, vehemently denies accusations of genocide. Officials assert that their military campaign is aimed at destroying Hamas in response to the October 7, 2023, massacre that killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages. Israeli authorities maintain that they seek to minimize civilian casualties and accuse Hamas of using civilians as human shields, embedding fighters in homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.
The debate has spilled far beyond the Emmys. Several open letters from prominent figures in cinema, music, and literature have circulated in recent months, urging an end to the nearly two-year war and calling for urgent action to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Film Workers for Palestine website, citing resources from Amnesty International, the United Nations, and Holocaust and Genocide Studies scholars, insists that the pledge “takes aim at institutional complicity, not identity,” and notes that “there are also 2 million Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, and Palestinian civil society has developed context sensitive guidelines for that community.”
As the entertainment industry grapples with its role in global politics, the events of the 2025 Emmys have made one thing clear: Hollywood’s red carpet is now as much a forum for activism as it is a celebration of artistic achievement. The debate over the boycott, and the broader struggle for justice in Gaza, shows no sign of fading from the spotlight.
