Julian Assange’s Bold ‘Stop Israel’ Statement At Cannes (image-instagram/landpalestine)
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who had largely avoided public appearances in recent years, made his Cannes Film Festival arrival a bold political statement. He attended the premiere of The Six Billion Dollar Man, a documentary directed by Eugene Jarecki, wearing a white T-shirt printed with the names of victims who were killed by the Israeli Occupation Force since October 2023.
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The 53-year-old, with the back of the olive green shirt reading “Stop Israel,” received significant attention on social media and in the press as the images and videos were widely circulated. The Cannes Festival has not always been just about glamorous gowns and red carpets; it has also served as a platform to spotlight the chaos and destruction unfolding across the world. When Assange’s T-shirt became a stark visual reminder to the world of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, it became part of a broader wave of political expression at Cannes this year.
More than 350 filmmakers and artists, including Pedro Almodóvar and David Cronenberg, signed an open letter condemning the ongoing violence in Gaza and the killing of Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, who was featured in a documentary selected for the festival.
Julian Assange has consistently used his platform to advocate for Palestinian rights and highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Assange’s support for Palestine extends beyond symbolic gestures. WikiLeaks has published documents revealing sensitive information about Israel’s military capabilities, including a 2009 cable quoting former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell acknowledging Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons—a topic Israel traditionally avoids discussing publicly, as per the Palestinian Chronicle report.
Following his release in October 2024, Assange addressed the Council of Europe, expressing his concern over the use of artificial intelligence in modern warfare. “Where before there was a difference between assassination and warfare, now the two are conjoined, where many, perhaps the majority, of targets in Gaza are bombed as a result of artificial intelligence targeting,” he said.
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In 2024, Cate Blanchett wore a Haider Ackermann x Jean Paul Gaultier gown to the premiere of The Apprentice. The black-and-white dress, accented with an emerald green panel lining the back, offered a subtle yet powerful homage to the Palestinian flag.
