Hannah Einbinder is speaking out after her arrest at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York City.
The actress said that despite the attention generated by images of her detention, focus should remain on Palestinians, in a lengthy statement she shared on her Instagram stories Friday, Sept. 25.
The "Hacks" star and several other public figures were arrested during a protest near the United Nations headquarters Thursday, Sept. 24. The demonstration coincided with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to New York to address the U.N. General Assembly.
"If the pictures of my friends and me getting arrested in protest of Netanyahu's shameful visit to New York draw attention to anything, let it be to the devastating genocidal war Israel
is waging against the people of Palestine and Southern Lebanon – to the settler attacks, the home demolitions, the bombing of people as they sleep, to the crimes that happen every SINGLE day but garner almost no international press coverage," Einbinder wrote.
Netanyahu has repeatedly framed the Israel-Hamas war as a campaign to defeat Hamas and prevent the terror organization from posing another threat to Israel. During ceasefire negotiations in April 2024, he said ending the war before Israel achieved all its goals was "out of the question," adding, "We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there … in order to achieve the total victory."
Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel. More than 73,000 people have since been killed in Gaza, according to local health officials. International and Israeli human rights organizations have accused Israel of genocide, an allegation the Israeli government denies. As part of his remarks, Netanyahu called allegations of Israeli genocide in Gaza "the biggest lie of the century."
Einbinder referenced Netanyahu's visit explicitly. "The US government has the power to bring an end to all of this killing, pillaging and land theft, yet instead it chooses to welcome the butcher of Gaza with open arm," she wrote. "The fact that the orchestrator of all this bloodshed is roaming freely in our cities is an indictment of BOTH REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS who enable and protect architects of genocide like Netanyahu."
Einbinder ended her statement with: "let us not mistake the spectacle for the story: genocide is the headline , and it is time for it to end."
She followed the statement with a separate Instagram story directing followers to support and donate through the account @pal.humanity.
Hannah Einbinder, Susan Sarandon and Cynthia Nixon arrested at protest
Einbinder was among more than 100 people police detained, as demonstrators blocked an intersection near the U.N. before the General Assembly began. Actors Susan Sarandon, Cynthia Nixon, comedian Caleb Hearon, and several political candidates and elected officials were also among those arrested.
USA TODAY reached out to representatives for Einbinder, Sarandon and Nixon, and the New York Police Department for comment.
The demonstration was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace and supported by several other advocacy groups. Jewish Voice for Peace said about 400 Jewish, Palestinian, Iranian and Lebanese New Yorkers participated in the sit-in at East 39th Street and First Avenue, demanding an end to U.S. weapons funding for Israel.
The New York Police Department said officers responded to an unscheduled demonstration that was blocking an intersection, according to The Guardian. Police said demonstrators were warned to leave before those who remained were taken into custody.
Netanyahu's calls protestors 'moral cowards' in UN speech
Netanyahu used his U.N. address to defend Israel's conduct and reject allegations of genocide.
He also accused New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani of antisemitism and supporting Hamas. Mamdani responded by saying Netanyahu's speech spread "baseless lies."
"Israel didn't commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide," Netanyahu said. "And that's exactly what Mr. Mamdani's Hamas buddies would have done to us had we not stopped them.
"Mr. Mamdani, since you were elected mayor of this city, many Jews no longer feel safe in New York," Netanyahu said. "This isn't the city we remember."
Dozens of delegates walked out as Netanyahu began speaking. Netanyahu responded in his speech, calling them "moral cowards."
Contributing: Liza Esquibias, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hannah Einbinder breaks silence after arrest at Netanyahu protest
