Oscar-winning Javier Bardem says Gaza war has changed global views on Palestine

Oscar-winning Spanish actor Javier Bardem has said growing global support for Palestine is a direct result of what he described as Israel’s “genocide” in the Gaza Strip, adding that the situation is clear to anyone with “the minimum amount of common sense”.

Speaking to journalist Mehdi Hasan on the Zeteo platform, Bardem said: “There is no justification for killing innocent civilians anywhere in the world, but what Israel has been doing for years is a documented genocide.”

Asked about the shift in global public opinion, particularly in the United States where recent polls have shown rising support for Palestine even among people with little interest in politics or sport, Bardem said he had been surprised by the change but welcomed it. He said it was a natural response to what he described as war crimes and genocide.

“The acts we have witnessed against the Palestinian people are so horrific that anyone with the minimum amount of common sense knows they are wrong,” he added.

Bardem also criticised Argentine President Javier Milei for his public support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right ministers in his government. He said it was unfair to present Argentina as being represented by those figures. 

He added that bringing political positions into the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina had placed “an extra burden” on the match that did not belong there. He said many Argentinians do not support Milei’s policies, just as many Americans do not support President Donald Trump.

READ: ‘No to war, and free Palestine’ says Javier Bardem at the Oscars