Palestinian Solidarity Echo at Cannes 2026: From Bella Hadid to Pedro Almodóvar

Bella Hadid has again voiced support for Palestine while attending the annual Cannes Film Festival 2026. On one occasion, the Palestinian-Dutch woman was seen wearing a key-shaped pendant with a map of Palestine.

For years, Hadid has turned Cannes into a space for fashion exploration as well as personal expression, often appearing in a red gown by Roberto Cavalli, a vintage Chanel dress, and a vintage red-and-white keffiyeh gown designed by Michael Sears and Hushi Mortezaie.

This year, Bella chose to celebrate her identity by wearing the key-shaped pendant bearing a map of Palestine at Cannes. According to The Cut on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, the accessory is not merely jewellery but a symbol with deep meaning for the Palestinian diaspora, particularly those displaced from their homeland in Nakba of 1948.

For many Palestinian families, the home key is a symbol of resistance and hope to return to their homeland. When the mass expulsion occurred in 1948, many Palestinians left their homes carrying only the home key.

That symbol has been passed down through generations as a reminder of loss as well as a promise to return to Palestine someday. And as a supermodel, Bella has managed to fuse fashion and activism perfectly.

Hadid has long been a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights, particularly in recent years amid the Israeli genocide in Gaza and human rights abuses in the West Bank. Her support for Palestine is linked to the influence of her father, Mohamed Hadid, who hails from Nazareth, Palestine.

Mohamed is reported to have often shared his personal stories with his children, including his experience of leaving his homeland in 1948 and seeking refuge in Syria. He also instilled a love of Palestinian culture through family traditions and traditional Palestinian food.