Natalie Portman Speaks Out on Refusing Award in Israel: ‘I Am Not Part of the BDS Movement’
Israeli-born actress Natalie Portman is speaking out on her decision not to travel to Israel to be honored with a Genesis Prize.
On Thursday, Portman pulled out of the annual million-dollar prize ceremony where she was set to be honored, stating that “recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to her.”
In response, the country’s ministry of culture and sports issued a scathing statement accusing her of being part of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.
“I was saddened to hear that Natalie Portman has fallen as a ripe fruit in the hands of BDS supporters,” Israel’s Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev said.
Portman responded for the first time with a counter-statement noting that the real reason that she did not want to attend was because she did not want to share a stage with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu which she feared might be construed as endorsing his politics.
“My decision not to attend the Genesis Prize ceremony has been mischaracterized by others. Let me speak for myself,” Portman 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. By the same token, I am not part of the BDS movement and do not endorse it.”
She added: “But the mistreatment of those suffering from today’s atrocities is simply not in line with my Jewish values.”
In light of Portman’s unwillingness to attend, the annual prize ceremony has been canceled.
Read Portman’s full statement, via Instagram, below:
[image via screengrab]
