Palestinian actor Motaz Malhees has said he cannot attend Sunday's Academy Awards because of a travel ban imposed by US President Donald Trump. Malhees stars in The Voice of Hind Rajab, a film nominated for best international feature film.
The film tells the story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in 2024. Malhees plays a call centre operator who tries to help the girl. He said on Instagram that he is barred from entering the US due to his Palestinian citizenship.
In December, Trump issued a proclamation restricting entry of foreign nationals using travel documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority. The ban, citing security reasons, took effect on 1 January. The US State Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Malhees said other Palestinian cast members have citizenship allowing US travel, but he only holds a Palestinian passport. The film was inspired by an incident in which five of Rajab's family members and two ambulance workers were also killed by Israeli fire; Israel says the incident is under review.
Trump has also attempted to deport foreign pro-Palestinian voices. On Friday, an immigration judge ordered the release of Leqaa Kordia, who lost over 170 family members in Gaza and has been detained for a year, though two previous orders have not led to her release.
