Jennifer Lawrence has condemned Israel’s military actions in Gaza, describing them as “no less than a genocide”, while also voicing concern over censorship in the US, reports Deadline.
Speaking at a press conference for her new film ‘Die, My Love’ at the San Sebastián Film Festival on September 26, Lawrence responded to a journalist’s question about pro-Palestinian protests at the event and the world her children will inherit.
“I’m terrified and it’s mortifying. What’s happening is no less than a genocide and it’s unacceptable,” she said. “I’m terrified for my children, for all of our children.”
Her comments follow a recent UN inquiry that concluded Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a finding Israel strongly denies.
Lawrence went on to criticise the state of political discourse in the US. “What makes me so sad is that this disrespect and the discourse in American politics right now is going to be normal to them. The kids who are voting right now at 18, it’s going to be totally normal to them that politics has no integrity. Politicians lie, there is no empathy. And everybody needs to remember that when you ignore what’s happening on one side of the world, it won’t be long until it’s on your side as well.”
According to The Guardian, more than 65,000 people have been killed and 160,000 injured in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive following the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, which left 1,200 people dead in Israel.
The actor admitted she feels powerless, but urged the public to hold leaders accountable rather than artists.
“I wish there was something I could say, something I could do to fix this extremely complex and disgraceful situation. It breaks my heart. But our fear in speaking too much is that our words will just be used to add more fire and rhetoric to something that is in the hands of our elected officials. I just want people to stay focused on who is responsible and not let the actors and artists, who are simply trying to express freedom of art and speech, take the heat for those actually responsible.”
Her remarks come shortly after more than 4,000 members of the film industry signed a pledge refusing to collaborate with Israeli film institutions.
Signatories included Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, Riz Ahmed, Ayo Edebiri and directors Yorgos Lanthimos, Ava DuVernay and Asif Kapadia.
Lawrence herself, however, has not signed the pledge.
She also spoke on censorship in the US, referencing the controversy around Jimmy Kimmel’s brief suspension from his late-night show after comments about Charlie Kirk. While Donald Trump praised the move, Hollywood unions condemned it.
Stephen Colbert, David Letterman, Olivia Rodrigo, Pedro Pascal and Marc Maron were among those defending Kimmel, calling the suspension a violation of free speech.
Meanwhile, Lawrence is preparing for the release of Die, My Love, a Cannes-debuted drama co-starring Robert Pattinson.
The film is already being described as one of Lawrence’s finest performances to date. It arrives in cinemas on November 14.
