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| Natalie Portman Photo: Georges Biard |
"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," said Natalie Portman in a statement after announcing yesterday that she would be turning down the Genesis Prize, a highly prestigious award sometimes described as the Jewish Nobel Prize.
Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev accused the Jackie star of falling into the hands of the BDS movement, which campaigns for sanctions against Israel until it complies with UN rulings relating to Palestine. There were calls in the Knesset for her citizenship to be revoked. Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan agreed with Regev but suggested that a tour of Israeli settlements near the border with Gaza might change her mind.
Portman has stressed that she is not boycotting Israel and says she does not support BDS. "Because I care about Israel, I must stand up against violence, corruption, inequality and abuse of power," she said.
The ceremony, which was to have been held in June, has now been cancelled. The prize organisers have described Portman's decision as a matter of conscience and stressed that they do not wish their philanthropic initiative to be politicised.
