Oscars 2026: ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ star says he can’t enter US “because of my Palestinian citizenship”
The Voice of Hind Rajab actor Motaz Malhees has said he’s unable to attend the Oscars due to his Palestinian citizenship.
The film is nominated in the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category at the 98th Academy Awards, set to take place on March 15th at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
The movie tells the true story of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl, while she is on the phone to the Palestinian Red Crescent, who attempt to save her from the wreckage of a car in Gaza. It blends dramatisation with reality, using the real phone call Rajab made to emergency services.
The Voice of Hind Rajab previously won the ‘Jury Prize’ at the Venice Film Festival, and was also nominated for ‘Best Non-English Language Film’ at the Golden Globes.
However, Malhees has now taken to Instagram to write, “Three days left to the Oscars. Our film The Voice of Hind Rajab is nominated for an Academy Award. I had the honor of playing one of the lead roles in a story the world needed to hear. But I will not be there.”
He then explained the reason why he won’t be in Los Angeles, stating, “I am not allowed to enter the United States because of my Palestinian citizenship.”
Malhees continued, “It hurts. But here is the truth. You can block a passport. You cannot block a voice.”
His statement defiantly continued, “I am Palestinian, and I stand with pride and dignity. My spirit will be with The Voice of Hind Rajab that night. Good luck to all of you. Our story is bigger than any barrier, and it will be heard.”
From January 1st, 2026, Palestine has been one of the affected countries of President Donald Trump’s travel ban, which his administration claimed was introduced “to protect the security of the United States”. It also impacted visitors from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria.
The Voice of Hind Rajab will compete against The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sirât, and It Was Just an Accident for ‘Best International Feature FIlm’ at the Oscars.
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