The 2025 Emmy Awards were a showcase of Jewish excellence, with actors, writers, and creators leaving a visible mark on television’s biggest night.
Yet much of that achievement was eclipsed by controversy, as anti-Israel speeches — and the firestorm they ignited — drew focus away from the breadth of Jewish talent celebrated on stage.
So let’s unpack what happened, how these moments unfolded on stage, and why they have continued to reverberate long after the final honor at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards was given out.
Hannah Einbinder blasts Israel in her 2025 Emmys acceptance speech
Jewish actress Hannah Einbinder, who won Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy for HBO’s “Hacks,” used her acceptance speech to call for a free Palestine.
“Go birds, fuck Ice and free Palestine,” she concluded her acceptance speech.
Backstage, Einbinder told reporters that she felt it was her responsibility as a Jewish person to speak out against Israel amid the war in Gaza.
“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 [working] for schoolchildren to create schools in the refugee camps,” she said. “It’s an issue that’s really close to my heart for many reasons. 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 the ethno-nationalist state.”
Celebrities condemn Israel with their outfits
Einbinder wore a red Artists4Ceasefire pin to the Emmys Sunday night. “White Lotus” stars Aimee Lou Wood and Natasha Rothwell also sported the controversial pin, as did Chris Perfetti from “Abbott Elementary.”
The Artists4Ceasefire, which has been criticized by activists on both sides of the Israel-Palestinian conflict as performative, calls for an “immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost.” Beginning in 2023, the Artists4Ceasefire pin emerged as a fixture on the red carpet, spotted on stars at major events like the Oscars and Emmys.
Meg Stalter, who also stars in “Hacks” alongside Einbinder and recently portrayed Jessica, the Jewish protagonist in Jewish writer Lena Dunham’s new show “Too Much,” brought a large purse with “Ceasefire!” painted on it.
Spanish actor Javier Bardem, who was nominated for his performance in “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” wore a keffiyah to the Emmys red carpet.
Petition to not work with Israeli film institutions begins to circulate
Over the past week, thousands of those in the film industry, including Bardem and Einbinder, signed the Film Workers for Palestine pledge stating that they would not work with Israeli film festivals, broadcasters, and production companies.
Other major stars who signed the pledge are Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Joaquin Phoenix, Tilda Swinton, and Ayo Edebiri.
Jewish stars Andrew Garfield, Ilana Glazer, and Abbi Jacobson — who recently starred in the new Jewish animated show “Long Story Short” signed the pledge. Mica Levi, who scored“The Zone of Interest,” and the screenwriter of “Ida” and “Disobedience,” Rebecca Lenkiewicz, were among the Jewish professionals who signed.
Bardem told reporters Sunday that he “cannot work with someone who justifies or supports the genocide.”
When asked whether he’s concerned about not getting acting work over his vocal stance, Bardem said, “Me not getting jobs is absolutely irrelevant compared to what is going on there.”
Einbinder agreed, explaining that she believes that the pledge is a way to try to convince studios and production companies to listen to anti-Israel critics.
“Boycotting is an effective tool to create pressure on the powers that be to meet the moment. The Film Workers for Palestine boycott does not boycott individuals; it only boycotts institutions that are directly complicit in the genocide … I think it’s an important measure, so I was happy to be a part of it,” she said.
The boycott comes as the Toronto International Film Festival has come under fire for canceling — and then uncanceling — its screenings of the Oct. 7 documentary “The Road Between Us.”
On Friday, Paramount — which owns CBS, the network that airs the Emmys — became the first major studio to oppose the pledge.
“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 company said in a statement. “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 former chair, Shari Redstone, and its new owner, David Ellison, are both Jewish and outspoken supporters of Israel. Reports suggest Ellison may bring in Bari Weiss — editor of The Free Press and a prominent pro-Israel media figure — to a leadership post at CBS News. At the same time, the studio is said to be exploring a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of HBO.
While Bardem and other supporters of the pledge claim that “Film Workers for Palestine do not target any individuals based on identity,” Leaders in Israel’s entertainment industry pushed back, arguing that nearly all Israeli artists collaborate with the institutions in question and that a boycott would ultimately punish them for working in their home country.
Other Jewish winners at the Emmys
Sunday’s Emmy ceremony also recognized several other Jewish creatives. Seth Rogen’s Apple TV+ series “The Studio” picked up 13 awards — the most of any comedy during the Emmy Awards —, further cementing his reputation as both a sharp writer and performer.
“I’ve never won anything in my life,” Rogen said in his acceptance speech for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. “When I was a kid, I bought a used bowling trophy at an estate sale. And my parents were like, ‘Yeah, that’s a good idea. You should probably buy that,’”
Rogen earned his Best Writing for a Comedy Series award with Jewish co-writer Evan Goldberg, as well as Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, and Frida Perez.
HBO’s “Pee-Wee as Himself” — a tender, posthumous tribute to the late Jewish actor and comedian Paul Reubens —was likewise honored, celebrating his singular career and cultural legacy.
Jewish actor Noah Wyle earned his first Emmy for his work on the medical drama, “The Pitt,” and Jewish comedy kingmaker Lorne Michaels took home the Best Variety Special award for the 50th anniversary show of “Saturday Night Live.” Learn more about SNL’s very Jewish history here.
However, the best Jewish moment of the night was when Seth Rogen told reporters that he could be a great rabbi in Netflix’s hot rabbi conversion show”Nobody Wants This.” We at Unpacked can’t wait for this potential cameo.
Originally Published Sep 15, 2025 04:28PM EDT
