'The Cost of Not Speaking Is Higher': 'Hacks' Star Hannah Einbinder Detained at NYC Protest Months After Defiant Palestine Vows

Hannah Einbinder was detained by New York police during a protest outside the UN in Manhattan on Thursday, 24 September, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to address the General Assembly.

The Hacks star has spent months speaking publicly about Palestine, including telling reporters at the Cannes Film Festival in May that 'the cost of not speaking is higher' than the potential impact on her career.

Susan Sarandon was also detained during the demonstration, which was organised by Jewish Voice for Peace. Protesters held banners reading 'Stop Arming Israel' and 'End the Genocide' while calling for an end to US support for Israel.

Hannah Einbinder Detained at NYC Protest

Einbinder was among protesters taken into custody after demonstrators blocked an intersection outside the UN, according to The Guardian. Protesters held banners reading 'Stop Arming Israel' and 'End the Genocide.'

An NYPD spokesperson said officers responded to reports of an 'unscheduled demonstration' after protesters blocked an intersection. Officers from the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau issued warnings telling participants to leave, but some continued to block the intersection.

'Multiple individuals who didn't comply were taken into custody,' the spokesperson said, without providing the number of people detained.

Einbinder Addresses Her NYC Detention

Einbinder later addressed the detention on Instagram, arguing that images of her being arrested should draw attention to the conflict rather than the celebrity involvement in the protest.

'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,' she wrote.

She also referred to 'settler attacks', home demolitions and people being bombed while they slept, and criticised what she described as limited international media coverage.

Einbinder further said the US government had the power to 'bring an end to all of this killing, pillaging, and land theft', and criticised both Republicans and Democrats for what she described as enabling and protecting Netanyahu.

'Let us not mistake the spectacle for the story: genocide is the headline, and it is time for it to end,' Einbinder wrote.

Einbinder's Earlier Palestine Comments

The detention follows months of outspoken comments from Einbinder about Palestine and the risks of speaking publicly in Hollywood.

At the Cannes Film Festival in May, she said potential professional consequences would not deter her from speaking out, telling The Guardian: 'The cost of not speaking is higher.'

She also said: 'I am under no impression that my small career could ever measure up in comparison to even one human life.'

In 2025, Einbinder said 'Free Palestine' during her Emmy acceptance speech for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She later said it was her 'obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the state of Israel.'

From 'Hacks' to Palestine Advocacy

Einbinder is best known for playing Ava Daniels in HBO's Hacks, the comedy series starring Jean Smart. Her performance has earned major industry recognition, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Einbinder has repeatedly framed her support for Palestinians as a personal responsibility.

At Cannes, she cited other entertainers who had faced professional consequences for speaking out, while saying she remained unwilling to stay silent.