Hannah Einbinder accepts her “Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series” Emmy for her work in “Hacks” Credit: Television Academy
Actress Hannah Einbinder is facing both backlash and praise for her political acceptance speech at last night’s 77th Emmy Awards, in which she called for a “Free Palestine”.
“And finally, Go Birds, F*** ICE, and Free Palestine. Thank You,” Einbinder said before walking off the stage, Emmy in hand.
The internet is torn on Einbinder’s speech, with some labeling it as an inappropriate moment on a “crude political soapbox” and others calling it “heroic” and “necessary.” But her choice should not come as a surprise to those familiar with the actress.
Einbinder, an American actress and stand-up comedian, garnered four nominations in the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category for her portrayal of young comedy writer Ava Daniels in HBO Max’s “Hacks” since 2021. Last night she finally took home her first Emmy. Her co-star Jean Smart won Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, her fourth Emmy for the series, for her portrayal of stand-up comedy diva Deborah Vance.
Einbinder is no stranger to using her platform to advocate for a “Free Palestine”.
On her Instagram, the comedian regularly posts fundraisers for individuals suffering in Gaza and information about national protests for the cause. She is also a member of Artists4Ceasefire, a collective of artists and advocates dedicated to lending “[their] voices and 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 the civilians in Gaza.”
Early last week, Einbinder was among thousands of actors and directors who signed a new pledge vowing not to work with Israeli film institutions they say are “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people”.
For Einbinder, her connection to this cause is personal. Talking to the press backstage shortly after her Emmys win, she expanded on her acceptance speech.
“It’s an issue that’s very dear to my heart,” Einbinder said. “I have friends in Gaza who are working as frontline workers, as doctors right now in the north of Gaza.”
It is also an issue of personal identity.
“I feel like it is my obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the State of Israel,” Einbinder continued. “Our religion and our culture is such an important and long standing institution that is really separate to this sort of ethno-nationalist state.”
In March, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC)—the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization—honored Einbinder with HRC’s Visibility Award for expanding LGBTQ+ representation on and off-screen. Both Einbinder and her “Hacks” character, Ava, publicly identify as bisexual.
Here too, as she received the award, she spoke about the suffering in Gaza.
“As a queer person, as a Jewish person, and as an American, I am horrified by the Israeli government’s massacre of well over 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza,” she said. “I am ashamed and infuriated that this mass murder is funded by our American tax dollars.”
She may continue to receive criticism for her Emmys speech, but to Einbinder, her stance is clear.
“It should not be controversial to say that we should all be against murdering civilians,” she said in her HRC speech.
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