She quickly became famous during her acclaimed five-season run with Gene Smart on HBO Max hacksHannah Einbinder has used her time to speak out on a variety of political and social issues, ranging from climate change to AI, most prominently in recent years, the fate of the Palestinian people amid the Israel–Gaza war.
She famously called for “Free Palestine” at the end of her 2025 Emmys acceptance speech and was arrested last month, along with other pro-Palestinian Hollywood activists like Susan Sarandon, as part of a protest before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s UN address.
Although some celebs may choose to remain silent about their political views, that’s not an option for Einbinder.
“I see it as the bare minimum,” Einbinder said of the “responsibility” to speak about her beliefs at The New Yorker Festival on Friday. “I think we’re living in a time that is probably the worst period in human history. I think there’s a threat to AI and climate.” [change] Push us into that zone. And I know how many eyes are on me. I know what a difference it can make. I know it from a financial perspective. I know I can raise money. I’ve done it, and so I know that people like me, and people with even bigger platforms, can make tangible change in the world. And for me, this is very specific to Palestine, and so even knowing this, I don’t really see any other option.
Einbinder, who has previously talked about how His views on Israel and Palestine have evolved The New Yorker shared more about his recent learning and perspective on the Israel-Gaza war at a festival event, following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
“I started attending IfNotNow prayer meetings with my friends who were already anti-Zionist, and I found this amazing Jewish community and these Jewish spaces so I could go on a journey to dismantle the disinformation that we systemically promote,” Einbinder explained. the new YorkerRachel Syme. “And once I unlearned all this, I realized I had to arm myself with a lot of knowledge and really go through a kind of relearning period, and when I felt equipped, you know, I started speaking out because I think when you look at it for what it is, you can’t help – well, some people can, I guess. But I think it came from my values and my sense of justice. Intrinsically connected, and I felt I had to make up for lost time because I was so entrenched and unconscious in this system for so long, and I had to change my mind and I had to learn and grow, and that’s what I’ve tried to do.
And Einbinder praised the “wonderful new voices” coming out of Palestine, citing in particular Al Jazeera Journalist Anas al-Sharif, who was Killed in Israeli airstrike In August 2025.
“When I think about it I remember some of the scenes that I saw happen,” Einbinder recalled to a silent, sold-out audience at Manhattan’s Webster Hall, listening intently as he talked about his views on the conflict in the Middle East. “I feel like I watched this man’s life unravel, and Israel murdered him. They knew he and other journalists were sleeping in a tent, and they killed him because he had a very powerful voice, and he had a beautiful daughter and an infant son, and he risked his life to tell the truth about Israel’s crimes, and he was killed for it, and he was killed for being a Palestinian.”
In light of what happened to al-Sharif, Einbinder says that whatever harm or “sacrifice” she may experience for speaking out in support of Palestine pales in comparison.
“When I speak about Palestine, when I say this is the bare minimum, there is nothing on earth I could ever lose or sacrifice. It would be a drop in the bucket to measure the incredible human beings I have ever seen in my life and the sacrifices they have made, so I want to draw attention to journalists like Anas and the many journalists like him who were silenced. We are still here, and we have an obligation to Tell stories,” Einbinder said. “We all have a responsibility, especially as Americans who are complicit as taxpayers whose money goes to finance genocide. We have a responsibility to speak out and not stop until the genocide ends.”
Einbinder’s comments were greeted with loud applause, with at least one person in the audience standing up after his “genocide” comment.
Earlier at the event, Einbinder talked about growing up in Los Angeles and discovering comedy (and competitive cheerleading) and her breakout role. hacksWhile offering some constructive criticism, festival audiences watched her memorable Branzino meltdown during the comedy’s fourth season, when she served as head writer for Smart’s Deborah Vance-host. late night. She also became emotional after watching a more dramatic scene between Ava and Deborah at the end of the final season.
Einbinder also talked about her recent role with Gillian Anderson in Jan Schönbrunn Teen sex and death at Camp Miasma.