Javier Bardem Uses Emmy Stage to Denounce Zionist Crimes, Demand Sanctions
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Javier Bardem used the 2025 Emmy Awards red carpet to condemn Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh, the Spanish actor declared his full support for Film Workers for Palestine and said he would never collaborate with anyone complicit in Israel’s atrocities.
“Here I am today, denouncing the genocide in Gaza,” Bardem told Variety.
“I am talking about the International Association of Genocide Scholars, who study thoroughly genocide and has declared it is a genocide. That’s why we ask for a commercial and diplomatic blockade and also sanctions on Israel to stop the genocide. Free Palestine.”
Bardem emphasized that he “cannot work with someone who justifies or supports the genocide,” calling for accountability in the film industry.
His stance comes after more than 3,900 figures in cinema and television signed a pledge refusing to work with Israeli institutions and companies tied to the apartheid regime.
The pledge, organized by Film Workers for Palestine, condemns complicity through whitewashing and partnerships with the occupation.
Hollywood giant Paramount attempted to shield Israel with a statement rejecting the boycott, claiming that refusing to work with Israeli filmmakers would “silence” creative voices.
The company insisted on “more engagement and communication — not less,” echoing the usual excuses to protect Tel Aviv from isolation.
Bardem directly countered Paramount’s defense of the Israeli regime, stressing that Film Workers for Palestine does not target individuals for their identity, but rather institutions that “are complicit and are white-washing or justifying the genocide and its apartheid regime.”
He reiterated, “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.”
Bardem’s call was joined by prominent filmmakers and actors including Yorgos Lanthimos, Ava DuVernay, Asif Kapadia, Olivia Colman, Adam McKay, Mark Ruffalo, Riz Ahmed, Tilda Swinton, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Emma Stone.
The Oscar winner, nominated at the Emmys for his role in Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, used Hollywood’s global stage to once again demand justice for Palestine and expose the Zionist regime’s crimes.
