SAEDNEWS: American actress Jennifer Lawrence denounced Israel’s assault on Gaza as “no less than a genocide,” warning that the mass killing of civilians is being normalized through political lies and censorship in the United States.
At the San Sebastián Film Festival, during the press conference for her upcoming film Die, My Love, Jennifer Lawrence addressed the crisis in Gaza despite attempts by a moderator to steer the conversation away.
“I’m terrified. It’s mortifying. What’s happening is no less than a genocide and it’s terrible,” Lawrence said, commenting on the destruction in Gaza.
Since October 2023, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 160,000 injured, with independent monitors reporting that nearly all casualties are civilians. Internal data from Israel’s own military indicates that 83% of those killed in the first seven months were civilians.
Lawrence also expressed concern about political discourse in the U.S., saying, “What makes me so sad is the disrespect in the discourse of American politics right now and how that is going to be normalized to the kids. It’s going to be normal to them that politicians lie.”
Her statements coincided with a growing cultural boycott movement, in which over 400 entertainment industry figures pledged to avoid Israeli film institutions “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” The boycott targets festivals such as Jerusalem al-Quds, Haifa, Docaviv, and TLVFest, with signatories including Mark Ruffalo, Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, Olivia Colman, Ava DuVernay, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Hall, and Yorgos Lanthimos.
Lawrence, who has not signed the boycott or the counter-letter by Liev Schreiber, Debra Messing, and Mayim Bialik, urged attendees to focus on accountability: “Stay focused on who is responsible, not on actors and artists.”
She also spoke out against censorship in the U.S.: “Our freedom of speech and expression is under attack. Festivals like this remind us we are all connected and deserve empathy and freedom.”
At the festival, Lawrence is set to receive the prestigious Donostia Award before the premiere of Die, My Love, directed by Lynne Ramsay and starring Robert Pattinson, Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek, and LaKeith Stanfield. The film is scheduled for release on November 7.
