Hannah Einbinder speaks out after arrest at Netanyahu protest

• “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder was among at least 30 people arrested during a protest outside the United Nations in New York.
• Einbinder said the attention surrounding the arrests should instead focus on the war in Gaza and Palestinians.
• Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon and other actors and politicians were also arrested during the demonstration.

“Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder spoke out Thursday after being arrested during a protest against ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside the United Nations in New York, saying the focus should remain on the war in Gaza rather than the arrests of demonstrators.

Einbinder was among at least 30 people arrested on Thursday as protesters gathered outside UN headquarters ahead of Netanyahu’s address to the General Assembly, according to Reuters. 

Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon, Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier and New York City Council member Chi Ossé were also among those detained.

The demonstration was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, with around 200 people gathering outside the UN Protesters wore white T-shirts carrying messages including “Fund people not bombs,” “No war” and “Free Palestine.”

Police said demonstrators were blocking traffic and ordered them to leave through loudspeakers.

Some protesters moved to the sidewalks, while others remained seated in the street and continued chanting. Officers then detained people who did not comply with the orders.

Following her release, Einbinder addressed the arrest in an Instagram statement, saying she hoped images of her and other protesters being detained would draw attention to what she described as the devastating war in Gaza and southern Lebanon, as well as settler attacks, home demolitions and other violence against Palestinians.

“Let us not mistake the spectacle for the story,” Einbinder wrote, according to TheWrap. “Genocide is the headline, and it is time for it to end.” She also criticized the US government for hosting Netanyahu and said both Republicans and Democrats had enabled and protected him.

Einbinder also called for donations to Pal Humanity, a nonprofit supporting people in northern Gaza, according to TheWrap.

The actor has previously spoken publicly about Palestine. She used her acceptance speech after winning an Emmy for “Hacks” in 2025 to call for a free Palestine, and has said she considers speaking out on the issue an obligation despite potential consequences for her career.

The arrests came as Netanyahu prepared to address the UN General Assembly. During his speech, dozens of delegates walked out of the chamber as he defended ‘Israel’s’ actions and rejected accusations concerning its conduct in Gaza.

The protest and the walkout inside the General Assembly unfolded against the backdrop of growing international criticism of ‘Israel’s’ conduct in Gaza and Netanyahu’s government.

Read more: NYPD arrests pro-Palestine protesters demonstrating against Netanyahu in New York