Sunday's red carpet event for the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles saw selected celebrities, actors, and filmmakers either making pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian statements, either through their words or through their clothing.
Jewish-American influencer Emily Austin showed up to the carpet with a yellow ribbon pin, representing the plight of the remaining 48 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip, and a Star of David necklace.
“While some seek to boycott Israel and fuel antisemitism, I choose to highlight what matters most - our hostages whose time is running out,” Austin told reporters. “This red carpet may be meant to celebrate entertainment and television, but for me, it’s a stage to remind the world of their story.”
Actor Javier Bardem, draped in a keffiyeh, was asked by Variety at the carpet what he would do if he found out he was going into business with a company that has worked with Israel.
"I won't work," he responded. "I cannot work with somebody who justifies or supports the genocide. I can't. It's as simple as that, and we shouldn't be able to do that. In this industry, and in any other industry."
The Spanish actor then went on to mention his country's La Vuelta cycling race that was canceled, praising the anti-Israel protesters who blocked the route.
The red carpet also saw actresses Amy Lou Wood and Jewish actress Hannah Einbinder wearing pins from the Artists4Ceasefire organization. At the awards show itself, Einbinder, upon winning an Emmy for her show Hacks, said, "Free Palestine," upon exiting the stage.
Recent anti-Israel sentiment within Hollywood
Last week, more than 4,000 workers in the entertainment industry, which included top film directors, actors, and writers, signed onto a pledge “not to screen films, appear at or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions … that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.”
Bardem, Wood, and Einbinder were among the signatories. Others include Olivia Colman, Ayo Edebiri, Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, Riz Ahmed, Eric Andre, Elliot Page, Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, Tilda Swinton, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Cynthia Nixon, Rooney Mara, Andrew Garfield, Gael Garcia Bernal, Melissa Barrera, Ilana Glazer, Wallace Shawn, and Emma Stone.
In response, the Paramount film studio condemned the pledge, saying, "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."
Andrew Lapin/JTA and Reuters contributed to this report.