Hollywood actress Jennifer Lawrence has described Israel’s war in Gaza as “nothing short of genocide,” voicing alarm over both the conflict and the state of free speech in the United States.

Speaking at a press conference during the San Sebastián Film Festival, where she was promoting her latest film Die My Love, the Academy Award-winning star departed from the festival’s apolitical tone to deliver candid remarks on the crisis.

“I’m horrified and deeply shaken. What’s occurring amounts to nothing less than a genocide, and it’s utterly unacceptable,” Lawrence said. “I fear for my children, and for all children everywhere.”

The actress also reflected on the political climate in the US, warning that the erosion of integrity in public life would shape a damaging future for young voters. “The young voters turning 18 now will see politics without integrity as normal—where politicians lie and empathy is absent,” she said. “Ignoring crises elsewhere in the world eventually brings them closer to home.”

Lawrence emphasised that artists should not be burdened with solving political crises. “I wish I could say or do something to resolve this deeply troubling and complex situation. It truly breaks my heart,” she said. “But the truth is, speaking too much risks my words being used to inflame rhetoric, when these matters are ultimately the responsibility of our elected leaders.”

She urged audiences to direct their energy toward accountability and civic engagement. “Focus on who holds responsibility, what actions you can take, and when to show up and vote, rather than putting pressure on actors and artists who are simply exercising freedom of art and speech,” she added.

Earlier in the conference, Lawrence also warned that America’s “freedom of speech and expression is under threat,” stressing the importance of cultural spaces like film festivals as sanctuaries for artistic voices. “We have the opportunity to share our stories, connect, and learn from one another, and, most importantly, recognise that we are all interconnected and deserve empathy and freedom,” she said.

Die My Love, in which Lawrence stars opposite Robert Pattinson, follows Grace, a new mother whose deteriorating mental health unravels her relationship with her husband. The film premiered at Cannes in May to a six-minute standing ovation, with distributor Mubi later acquiring it in a $24 million deal.

Source: Al Jazeera 

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