The Crown’s Khalid Abdalla calls for peace in Palestine once again at Emmy Awards

British actor Khalid Abdalla, best known for his portrayal of Dodi Al-Fayed in The Crown, penned “Never Again” on his hand at the 2024 Emmy Awards, advocating for an end to the on-going violence in Palestine.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter,” Abdalla wrote on his Twitter handle, quoting Martin Luther King Jr. The Emmys this year coincided with Martin Luther King Jr Day and the ceremony concluded with an excerpt from his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

Abdalla also called for mourning the dead and fighting “like hell for the living”.

Addressing the dove — a universal symbol for peace — and a pin of the scales of justice attached to his lapel, Abdalla said, “The dove is from Bethlehem, the scales of justice for everywhere and the ICJ (International Court of Justice). Because all live are sacred”.

The Kite Runner actor was referring to the recent case lodged by South Africa at the ICJ against Israel’s war crimes in Gaza. He was also one of two dozen stars — along with Susan Sarandon, Cynthia Nixon, and Game of Thrones star Charles Dance — to read out sections of South Africa’s case against Israel in the ICJ, highlighting the atrocities committed against Palestinians. The video series was published by the Palestine Festival of Literature, a cultural initiative committed to the creation of language and ideas for combating colonialism in the 21st century.

Abdalla has a history of voicing his support for the Palestinian cause on red carpets, as award show season continues in Hollywood. His signature move is slogans written on his hands, as well as dove and scales of justice pins attached to his clothes.

At the Critics Choice Awards earlier this week, Abdalla had ICJ written on his hand as he fluttered his hands, signifying a dove. His trademark badges were prominently displayed on his white coat jacket. The Avengers actor Mark Ruffalo was filmed alongside Abdalla, pointing to his emblematic pins.

Last week, at the Golden Globes, he donned a dove pin and a white armband. The actor pointed to the dove as he was photographed on the red carpet, and later wrote: “The dove is made in Bethlehem. Today marks three months of unfathomable death and destruction. We need this to end. The first step must be a permanent ceasefire. #CeasefireNow.”

At The Crown’s premiere in December 2023, Abdalla inked “end the occupation”, “permanent ceasefire” as well as “return the hostages” on his hands.

The Green Zone actor is one of the few Hollywood celebrities who have used their voice for the Palestinian cause, as no major voices have been heard calling for a ceasefire or condemning the ruthless aggression Israel has been inflicting on the tiny strip since October 7 at award shows.

Conversely, the BBC edited out multiple calls for a ceasefire in Gaza from the Scottish Bafta Awards ceremony in November, including the presentation of an entire award, The National reported.

Director Eilidh Munro, who won the award for best Short Film and Animation, told guests to “put pressure on institutions and our government” and to “use your voice as filmmakers and artists” while her colleague Finlay Pretsell held up a poster, which read: “I refuse to be silent. Ceasefire now.”

The speech was seen by viewers on the livestream produced by Bafta Scotland and shared widely online but the entire award-giving has been removed from the BBC iPlayer’s edit, The National stated.