JERUSALEM April 21 (TNS): Israeli and American actor Natalie Portman has refused to accept a prestigious award in an apparent move to snub Israeli for its excesses against Palestinian civilians in Gaza and other parts.
Portman, who snubbed the Jewish Nobel, said that her attendance at the function may be construed as an endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The refusal of Portman to shun the award triggered an angry backlash from some in the country’s political establishment.
Portman through a representative had told the Genesis Prize Foundation she was experiencing “extreme distress” over attending its ceremony and would “not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel.”
“Let me speak for myself. I chose not to attend because I did not want to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony,” she wrote.
“Like many Israelis and Jews around the world, I can be critical of the leadership in Israel without wanting to boycott the entire nation. I treasure my Israeli friends and family, Israeli food, books, art, cinema, and dance.
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She asked people to “not take any words that do not come directly from me as my own.”
Israel faces international criticism over its use of lethal force against civilians along the Gaza border.
One Israeli lawmaker warned that Portman’s decision was a sign of eroding support for Israel among young American Jews.
