The Israeli government and other critics say the boycott movement is anti-Semitic and aims to delegitimize Israel and undermine its right to exist. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the movement wants “to see the end of the Jewish state.”
In a letter to Ms. Portman on Friday, Gilad Erdan, Israel’s minister of public security and strategic affairs, wrote, “Sadly, it seems that you have been influenced by the campaign of media misinformation regarding Gaza,” and invited her to tour the border area.
Ms. Portman, who is Jewish and was born in Israel, has starred in such hit movies as “Black Swan” and the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy. She directed a 2015 feature, “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” an adaptation of the autobiographical novel by the Israeli author Amos Oz and shot in Jerusalem.
In her statement Friday, Ms. Portman said: “I am not part of the B.D.S. movement and do not endorse it. Like many Israelis and Jews around the world, I can be critical of the leadership in Israel without wanting to boycott the entire nation.”
“Israel,” she said, “was created exactly 70 years ago as a haven for refugees from the Holocaust. But the mistreatment of those suffering from today’s atrocities is simply not in line with my Jewish values. Because I care about Israel, I must stand up against violence, corruption, inequality, and abuse of power.”
Israel has drawn international censure for using live fire against mostly unarmed protesters during recent weekly demonstrations along the fence dividing Gaza from Israel.
The protest, which began as a grass-roots campaign and was quickly adopted by Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls Gaza, is meant to draw international attention to the 11-year blockade of the isolated, impoverished coastal territory, which Israel and Egypt impose, citing security grounds, and to Palestinian demands for a return to lands in what is now Israel.
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Israel’s military says it is acting to prevent any mass crossing of the fence and to prevent attacks against Israeli soldiers and nearby communities under cover of the protests.
Ms. Portman’s decision was not the first time a celebrity has opted out of an event in Israel over disagreements with its policies. Also this year, the musician Lorde ignited outrage in some quarters when she canceled a concert in Tel Aviv at the urging of fans who asked her to reconsider the performance.
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Her cancellation drew angry denunciations from several prominent Israelis and Jewish leaders. A well-known American rabbi, Shmuley Boteach, took out a full-page ad in The Washington Post calling her a bigot, and an Israeli rights group filed a lawsuit against two New Zealanders who wrote one of many open letters urging Lorde to cancel the show.
Many others offered support to the singer, including dozens of celebrities and artists who signed an open letter in The Guardian. Among them were the former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters, the singer Peter Gabriel, and the actors Viggo Mortensen and Mark Ruffalo. Hundreds of other celebrities criticized Israel and offered their support for the Palestinian cause, including Rihanna, Penélope Cruz and Russell Brand.
Others have positioned themselves firmly on the other side of the debate. Gal Gadot, an Israeli actress who rose to fame for starring in the 2017 movie “Wonder Woman,” offered her prayers for the Israeli Defense Forces on social media, as did the Israeli model Bar Refaeli.
The actress Scarlett Johansson drew scorn from some and was dropped by the charity Oxfam as a spokeswoman after eight years over a deal with SodaStream, an Israeli company that had a factory in a Jewish settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Ms. Portman has in the past been very critical of Mr. Netanyahu, saying she was “very, very upset and disappointed” over his re-election in 2015. “I find his racist comments horrific,” she said.
The Genesis Prize was founded in 2013 to celebrate Jewish achievement and contribution to humanity, in the words of the organizers. Its founding partners are listed on the prize website as the Israeli prime minister’s office, the Genesis Philanthropy Group and the Jewish Agency for Israel, a quasi-governmental organization that deals with Jewish immigration and the wider Jewish diaspora. Previous laureates include Michael R. Bloomberg (2014), Michael Douglas (2015), Itzhak Perlman (2016), and Anish Kapoor (2017).
Before Ms. Portman’s issued her statement Friday explaining her decision to pull out of the prize ceremony, both supporters and critics of the B.D.S. movement seized on her decision to score points.
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Supporters saw the move as evidence of a growing swell of cultural figures protesting Israel’s policies.
“This latest rebuff to Israeli cultural events and accolades, coming from an Israeli-American superstar, is arguably one of the strongest indicators yet of how toxic the Israel Brand has become, even in some liberal circles in Hollywood,” Omar Barghouti, a co-founder of the B.D.S. movement, said in an email. “I can sense our South Africa moment coming closer.”
On the other side, Miri Regev, Israel’s minister of culture and sport, said in a statement to Israeli news media, “I was saddened to hear that Natalie Portman has fallen as a ripe fruit in the hands of B.D.S. supporters,” adding, “Natalie, a Jewish actress who was born in Israel, now joins those who refer to the success and wonder of the rebirth of Israel as ‘a tale of darkness and darkness.’”
Oren Hazan, who, like Ms. Regev, belongs to Mr. Netanyahu’s conservative Likud Party, suggested that Ms. Portman, a dual national who also holds American citizenship, should be stripped of her Israeli citizenship. He called on Israelis to boycott her future movies.
But Rachel Azaria, a legislator from a centrist party that sits in Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition, wrote on Twitter that Ms. Portman’s cancellation should serve as “a warning light.”
“She is totally one of us, identifies with her Judaism and her Israeliness,” Ms. Azaria wrote.
Referring to what many view as the increasing alienation of young, liberal American Jews from Israel, or at least from its right-wing government, she said that Ms. Portman was “now speaking for many Jews in the United States, and essentially the young generation.”
Natalie Portman wants to make it clear why she canceled a planned trip to receive a prestigious Israeli award after a government official in the country slammed her.
The Oscar-winning actress, 36, was announced as the honoree of the Genesis Prize Laureate, the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in Israel in November.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, the actress says her decision “not to attend the Genesis Prize ceremony has been mischaracterized by others.”
“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 explained. “By the same token, I am not part of the BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] movement and do not endorse it.”
“Like many Israelis and Jews around the world, I can be critical of the leadership in Israel without wanting to boycott the entire nation,” Portman continued. “I treasure my Israeli friends and family, Israeli food, books, art, cinema, and dance.”
Neilson Barnard/Getty
“Israel was created exactly 70 years ago as a haven for refugees from the Holocaust. But the mistreatment of those suffering from today’s atrocities is simply not in line with my Jewish values,” she wrote. “Because I care about Israel, I must stand up against violence, corruption, inequality, and abuse of power.”
RELATED: Natalie Portman ‘Does Not Feel Comfortable Participating’ in Israeli Award Ceremony, Cancels Trip
She added, “Please do not take any words that do not come directly from me as my own. This experience has inspired me to support a number of charities in Israel. I will be announcing them soon, and I hope others will join me in supporting the great work they are doing.”
The actress also shared the statement on her Instagram account on Friday.
The move to not attend the ceremony in June, now canceled by The Genesis Prize Foundation, is believed to have been in part due to Israel’s recent deadly shooting of Palestinian protesters along the Gaza border, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
RELATED VIDEO: Natalie Portman, at 13, experienced ‘sexual terrorism’
Miri Regev, Israel’s minister for culture and sports, slammed the actress for her decision, the outlet reported.
“I was saddened to hear that Natalie Portman has fallen as a ripe fruit in the hands of BDS supporters,” Regev said, referencing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against the country. “Natalie, a Jewish actress who was born in Israel, now joins those who refer to the success and wonder of the rebirth of Israel as a ‘tale of darkness.'”
RELATED: Natalie Portman Calls Out ‘Environment of Sexual Terrorism’ in Women’s March Speech
The Genesis Prize Foundation also released a statement on Thursday, saying “recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to her and she does not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel,” adding, “she cannot in good conscience move forward with the ceremony.”
It continued, “We are very saddened that she has decided not to attend the Genesis Prize Ceremony in Jerusalem for political reasons. We fear that Ms. Portman’s decision will cause our philanthropic initiative to be politicized, something we have worked hard for the past five years to avoid.”
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Portman told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015 that she disagreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies, saying, “I’m very much against Netanyahu. Against. I am very, very upset and disappointed that he was re-elected.”
She isn’t the only star in recent months to cancel a trip to Israel due to politics. In December 2017, Lorde canceled her shows in Israel after activists told her to reconsider her appearances in an open letter, according to The New York Times.
CLOSE Newly released images show Prince the day before he died; Genesis Prize winner Natalie Portman pulls out of Israel ceremony; Stuntman who was pinned under SUV driven by actor Tom Sizemore settles lawsuit. (April 20) AP
Name you know: Natalie Portman. Birth name: Neta-Lee Hershlag. (Photo: Neilson Barnard, Getty Images)
JERUSALEM (AP) — Actress Natalie Portman has snubbed a prestigious prize known as the "Jewish Nobel," saying she did not want her attendance to be seen as an endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Portman was to have received the award in Israel in June and said in a statement issued early Saturday that her reasons for skipping the ceremony had been mischaracterized by others, and she is not part of the BDS, a Palestinian-led global movement of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.
News of Portman's decision to skip the event triggered an angry backlash Friday from some in the country's political establishment.
That was due to reports that 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."
Portman's statement said her decision had been mischaracterized.
"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.'"
She asked people to "not take any words that do not come directly from me as my own."
Israel faces some international criticism over its use of lethal force in response to mass protests along the Gaza border led by the Islamic militant group that rules the territory.
One Israeli lawmaker warned that Portman's decision is a sign of eroding support for Israel among young American Jews.
The Jerusalem-born Portman is a dual Israeli-American citizen. The Oscar-winning actress moved to the United States as a young girl, evolving from a child actress into a widely acclaimed A-list star. Portman received the 2011 best actress Academy Award for Black Swan, and, in 2015, she directed and starred in Tale of Love and Darkness, a Hebrew-language film set in Israel based on an Amos Oz novel. Her success is a great source of pride for many Israelis.
The Genesis Prize Foundation said Thursday that it had been informed by Portman's representative that "recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing" to Portman, though it did not refer to specific events.
Since March 30, more than three dozen Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire, most of them in protests on the Gaza-Israeli border. Hundreds more have been wounded by Israeli troops during this time.
Israel says it is defending its border and accuses Hamas, a militant group sworn to Israel's destruction, of trying to carry out attacks under the guise of protests. It has said that some of those protesting at the border over the past few weeks tried to damage the fence, plant explosives and hurl firebombs, or flown kites attached to burning rags to set Israeli fields on fire. Several Israeli communities are located near the Gaza border.
Rights groups have branded open-fire rules as unlawful, saying they effectively permit soldiers to use potentially lethal force against unarmed protesters.
Israel's right-wing Culture Minister Miri Regev said in a statement Friday that she was sorry to hear that Portman "has fallen like a ripe fruit into the hands of BDS supporters," referring to the Palestinian-led boycott movement.
"Natalie, a Jewish actress born in Israel, is joining those who relate to the wondrous success story of Israel's rebirth as a story of 'darkness and darkness'," Regev said.
Rachel Azaria, a lawmaker from the centrist Kulanu party, warned that Portman's decision to stay away is a sign of eroding support for Israel among young American Jews.
"The cancellation by Natalie Portman needs to light warning signs," Azaria said in a statement. "She is totally one of us. She identifies with her Jewishness and Israeli-ness. She is expressing now the voices of many in U.S. Jewry, mainly those of the young generation. This is a community that was always a significant anchor for the state of Israel. The price of losing them could be too high."
Oren Hazan, a legislator in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud Party, called on the government to revoke Portman's Israeli citizenship.
Gilad Erdan, Israel's Public Security Minister said he sent a letter to Portman expressing his disappointment. "Sadly, it seems that you have been influenced by the campaign of media misinformation and lies regarding Gaza orchestrated by the Hamas terrorist group," he wrote.
He invited her to visit and see for herself the situation on the ground.
The Genesis foundation said it was "very saddened" by Portman's decision and would cancel the prize ceremony, which had been set for June 28.
"We fear that Ms. Portman's decision will cause our philanthropic initiative to be politicized, something we have worked hard for the past five years to avoid," it said.
Portman said in her statement that the backlash has inspired her to make numerous contributions to charities in Israel. She pledged to announce those grants soon.
The Genesis Prize was launched in 2013 to recognize Jewish achievement and contributions to humanity. Previous recipients include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, actor Michael Douglas, violinist Itzhak Perlman and sculptor Anish Kapoor.
When Portman was announced late last year as the 2018 recipient, she said in a statement released by organizers at the time that she was "proud of my Israeli roots and Jewish heritage."
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Hollywood actress Natalie Portman revealed that she won't be attending a ceremony in Jerusalem because Benjamin Netanyahu would also be there.
The 36-year-old actress said that her reasoning for not attending the Genesis Award ceremony has been 'mischaracterized'.
'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,' Portman said in a statement posted late Friday on Instagram.
She also denied accusations by Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev who on Friday said Portman subscribed to the ideology of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Oscar-winning US-Israeli actress Natalie Portman says she will not attend a Jerusalem award ceremony because she does not want to appear to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
'I am not part of the BDS movement and do not endorse it,' the Oscar-winning US-Israeli actress said.
'Like many Israelis and Jews around the world, I can be critical of the leadership in Israel without wanting to boycott the entire nation,' she said.
On Friday the Genesis Prize Foundation said that Portman had cancelled her participation in a Jerusalem ceremony slated for the end of June.
One of Portman's representatives informed the foundation that she was troubled by 'recent events' in Israel and 'does not feel comfortable participating in any public event in Israel,' the foundation said.
'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,'Portman said
The foundation did not say which events distressed Portman.
Portman said her decision to stay away from the award ceremony had been 'mischaracterised', insisting that she wanted to set the record straight and 'speak for myself'.
'Israel was created exactly 70 years ago as a haven for refugees from the Holocaust. But the mistreatment of those suffering from today's atrocities is simply not in line with my Jewish values,' she said.
'I am not part of the BDS movement and do not endorse it,' the Oscar-winning US-Israeli actress added
'Because I care about Israel, I must stand against violence, corruption, inequality and abuse of power,' Portman added.
Portman did not go into details, but her decision came amid a series of controversies for Netanyahu and his government.
The army has come under scrutiny over its use of live fire over the past three weeks during protests and clashes along the blockaded Gaza Strip's border with the Jewish state.
In a fourth straight Friday of mass demonstrations, four Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces, bringing the total death toll since March 30 to 38.
Netanyahu also recently reversed a controversial deal with the UN refugee agency aimed at avoiding the forced deportations of thousands of African migrants.
The Israeli premier is also the subject of a series of corruption investigations. Police in February recommended he be indicted in two of the cases and a third is ongoing.
The Genesis prize, launched in 2013, is awarded to 'extraordinary individuals who serve as an inspiration to the next generation of Jews,' according to foundation's website.
Netanyahu recently reversed a controversial deal with the UN refugee agency aimed at avoiding the forced deportations of thousands of African migrants
Recipients contribute their winnings to causes of their choice, and Portman has said she intended to dedicate the money to programmes advancing women's equality.
Born in Jerusalem to a doctor father and an artist mother, 36-year-old Portman won a best actress Oscar for 2010's psychological ballet thriller 'Black Swan'.
Her announcement comes after Israeli politicians demanded that her citizenship be stripped away.
Politician Oren Hazan from the Likud party branded it 'complete craziness' that she was awarded the prize in the first place.
He accused her of 'cynically' using her birthplace to further her career and said she had 'no real connection to the State' after leaving for the USA aged four.
'From the outset, the idea of granting the Genesis Prize to Natalie Portman was complete craziness,' he said, as reported in Israel National News.
'[She is] a Jewish Israeli, who on the one hand cynically uses her birthplace to advance her career and on the other is proud of the fact that she managed to avoid enlisting in the IDF.
Portman in her next big role in Vox Lux, in which she plays a rising pop star named Celeste
'She's an actress, but she is unworthy of any honor in the State of Israel.
'Sweetness can come from strength: I call on Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) to rescind Portman's Israeli citizenship.
'She left Israel at age four, and has no real connection to the State.'
The country's Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev added: 'I was very sorry to hear that Portman fell like a ripe fruit into the hands of BDS supporters.
'A Jewish actress, who was born in Israel, has joined those who see the miraculous success story of Israel's creation as a "story of darkness".'
