During the Oscars telecast on Sunday night, actor Javier Bardem took a bold stand by declaring “Free Palestine” while presenting an award. This statement aligns with his long-standing advocacy for the Palestinian cause, which intensified following Israel’s military actions in Gaza after the October 7 terrorist attack.
In an unscripted moment on stage, Bardem passionately declared, “No to war, and free Palestine,” before continuing with his scripted presentation for the Best International Feature category.
Bardem’s commitment to the Palestinian cause became more pronounced after the events in Gaza following the October 7 attack by Hamas. Last year, Bardem publicly stated his refusal to work with companies that support Israel during the conflict in Gaza.
During an interview with Variety at the Emmy Awards in 2025, Bardem was asked, “If you find out a company you’re going into business with is in business with Israel, what do you do?”
His response was clear and unwavering: “I won’t work,” Bardem declared. “I cannot with somebody that justifies or supports genocide. It’s as simple as that. We should not be able to do that, in this industry or any industry.”
Earlier, Bardem had already shown his solidarity by joining over a thousand Hollywood celebrities and international film industry insiders in a pledge to boycott the Israeli film industry in protest against the war in Gaza.
“The large number of members of the film industry from Europe, the UK, and the U.S.A. signed onto a pledge by a group calling itself Film Workers for Palestine (FWFP),” – News reported.
As – News reported earlier this month, Spanish actor Aldo Comas criticized celebrities for wearing “Free Palestine” pins while having no opinion about other regimes like Iran.
The actor expressed his views when speaking with reporters ahead of the Goaya Awards.
“I haven’t heard anyone talk about the 50,000 people who died in the last two months in Iran. No one talks about it. I see lots of pins about everything else, but not about that. I don’t know. Maybe we should also be ending theocratic that murder their own people. I don’t know,” he said.
When pressed on whether a film awards ceremony is the “best place” for such statements, Comas said that artists should stay in their lane.
“War is never cool. But who are we? We’re jesters, singers, painters, and actors. Let others have the opinions,” he said.
