“Have friends in Gaza”: Hannah Einbinder's Emmy speech includes call to free Palestine during acceptance

77th Primetime Emmy Awards - Press Room - Source: Getty
77th Primetime Emmy Awards - Press Room - Source: Getty

Hannah Einbinder's Emmy speech has quickly become one of the most talked-about moments of this year's Emmys. While accepting her first Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy for her role in Hacks, she ended her speech with something that left the audience stunned:

"Go Birds, f— ICE and Free Palestine."
77th Primetime Emmy Awards - Source: Getty
77th Primetime Emmy Awards - Source: Getty

Later, when asked backstage about her speech and choice of words, she explained:

"I have friends in Gaza..."

She also added that the people she knows from Gaza are doctors and frontline workers who help pregnant women and children in refugee camps.


Why Hannah Einbinder's Emmy speech was so impactful

There are always big and exciting speeches at the Emmys, but Hannah Einbinder's Emmy speech felt completely different. She started with an expression of gratitude, thanking the Hacks team for changing her life in every way possible and for giving her not just a role, but friendships that now feel like family.

But it was the ending of her speech that called in for all the attention. Just before she left the stage, she firmly spoke out:

"Go Birds, f— ICE and Free Palestine."

Backstage, Einbinder told the press:

"I thought it was important to talk about Palestine because it's an issue that's very dear to my heart. I have friends in Gaza...to provide care for pregnant women and for schoolchildren to create schools in the refugee camps."

Hannah Einbinder's Emmy speech instantly spoke to the viewers because her take wasn't just about politics but it was about real people she actually knows.


The deeper meaning behind Hannah Einbinder's Emmy speech backstage

If the onstage moment was powerful, the backstage explanation made Hannah Einbinder's Emmy speech feel even more significant. She spoke about her Jewish identity and how important it was for her to clarify the difference between her faith and the state of Israel.

She said:

"I feel like it is my obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the State of Israel..."

This is how she explained that Judaism is a religion and that the culture is separate from nationalism.

Einbinder also talked about her decision to join more than a thousand industry professionals in signing the Film Workers for Palestine pledge, which calls for boycotting Israeli film institutions that are linked to government policies.

She told the press:

"In terms of the pledge, it's like many movements, boycotting is an effective tool to create pressure on the powers that be to meet the moment....So, it's important to me, and I think it's an important measure, and so I was happy to be a part of it."

This showed that Hannah Einbinder's Emmy speech wasn't just a solid ending to a live broadcast. It was a reflection of the activism she is already involved in. For fans of Hacks, this revealed a side of her that goes beyond comedy. She is someone who is willing to risk criticism in order to speak up for the injustice being meted out to the Palestinian people.


Hannah Einbinder's Emmy speech turned what could have been a typical award speech into something that is truly unforgettable. She used her platform to call attention to the genocide happening in Palestine, to pay attention to Gaza, to stand against ICE, and to speak out about her Jewish identity.

Her words showed courage at a time when many have decided to stay quiet. Whether fans agree with her stance or not, no one can ignore the impact of Hannah Einbinder's Emmy speech.


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Edited by Deebakar