Cate Blanchett's dress at Cannes sparks Palestine solidarity debate

Veteran Hollywood actor Cate Blanchett’s dress at the Cannes Film Festival 2024 sparked a debate around her showing solidarity with the Palestinians.

The actor arrived at the red carpet for Donald Trump biopic “The Apprentice,” wearing a black-white-green dress.

Fans noticed the similarity of the dress with the Palestinian flag when Cate Blanchett exposed the inside of the dress that had green linings.

Several suggested that the actor wore the dress to show solidarity with the people of Palestine as her dress included black, white and green colour which in backdrop of the red carpet was similar to the flag of Palestine.

An editor at Vogue Arabia took to social media sharing an image of the actor on the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival 2024, and suggested that Blanchett had indeed attempted to create the Palestinian flag in solidarity with the Palestinians.

It is pertinent to mention that Cate Blanchett was among 55 Hollywood stars who in October last year signed an open letter to President Joe Biden urging for a ceasefire in Gaza.

‘We urge your administration, and all world leaders, to honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay – an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages,’ said the letter.

Other signatories of the letter were Kristen Stewart, Ramy Youssef, Joaquin Phoenix, and Riz Ahmed.

A day eariler, Israeli planes and tanks pounded areas across the Gaza Strip, residents said.

Israel has been pushing into the city that it says is the last bastion of Hamas forces. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled the area that was one of their few remaining places of refuge.

At least 35,386 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since Oct. 7, according to the enclave’s health ministry. Aid agencies have warned of widespread hunger and shortages of fuel and medical supplies.