Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter criticized Jewish actress Hannah Einbinder on Friday that the pro-Palestinian comments she made during her acceptance speech earlier in the week at the Emmy Awards ceremony fueled hate against Jews and Israel.
“When Jews everywhere face violent antisemitism, rhetoric like that of yours, Hannah, does not bring peace. It fuels hate and puts Jewish lives at risk,” Leiter said in a recording posted on X. “Stardom can’t excuse ignorance and claiming Jewish pedigree can’t excuse antisemitism.”
Einbinder chose to use her moment “not to honor her craft, but to attack Israel,” the diplomat continued.
“She claimed that it was her obligation as a Jew to separate her Judaism from the State of Israel, as though Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people, was some kind of aberration,” he said.
“Well, let me be clear. Israel is not an invention. It is the democratic nation-state of the Jewish people, and the fulfillment of our right to self-determination after centuries of persecution and exile. It was where the Jewish people began. It was Abraham who ascended the Holy Land, the Land of Israel, the People of Israel,” Leiter added.
He then spoke about her “Free Palestine” remark, saying that these words are not a call for peace.
“The murderer who killed two of our employees, Sarah [Milgrim, 26,] and Yaron [Lischinsky, 30], here at the embassy, shouted ‘Free Palestine,’ as he murdered them in cold blood,” the ambassador stressed, referring to the deadly shooting in Washington, D.C., on May 21.
Leiter went on to say that people can criticize Israeli policies, but that “challenging the very legitimacy of the State of Israel crosses the line; and claiming Jewish pedigree can’t overcome that.”
Stardom can’t excuse ignorance, and claiming Jewish pedigree can’t excuse antisemitism. Hannah Einbinder you should learn your history. As a Jewish woman, you must know that rhetoric like yours does not bring peace — it fuels hate and puts Jewish lives at risk. pic.twitter.com/Ij7Nt5BHrJ
— Ambassador Yechiel (Michael) Leiter (@yechielleiter) September 19, 2025
Einbinder on Sep. 14 said, “Go Birds, F**k ICE and Free Palestine,” before leaving the stage at the Emmy Awards, referring first to the Philadelphia Eagles football team, and then to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The actress later elaborated on her statement in an aftershow press room, saying that it was her “obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the State of Israel, because our religion and our culture is such an important and long-standing institution that is really separate to this sort of ethno-nationalist state,” according to the New York Post.
Following the murder of the Israeli embassy staffer in May, Leiter revealed that the victims were a couple who were about to be engaged. Lischinsky had recently purchased an engagement ring and planned to propose next week in Jerusalem.
The Trump administration said in August that the suspect, Elias Rodriguez, would be eligible for the death penalty if found guilty of shooting and killing Lischinsky and Milgrim as they were leaving the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, on Aug. 6, accusing him of murdering a foreign official, hate crimes, gun offenses, first-degree murder and assault with intent to kill, the U.S. Department of Justice stated.
