Portman balks at accepting prize in Israel

Natalie Portman has opted not to travel to Israel to accept the Genesis Prize, the awarding foundation said.

The Genesis Prize Foundation said it was informed by a representative of the Annihilation actress that she would no longer be attending the ceremony.

“Recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to her and she does not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel,” Portman’s spokesman told the foundation, and the actress “cannot in good conscience move forward with the ceremony.”

The foundation said that it had no choice but to cancel the June 28 event.

“The staff of the Foundation enjoyed getting to know her over the past six months, admires her humanity, and respects her right to publicly disagree with the policies of the government of Israel,” the organization stated.

“However, 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,” it continued.

Portman, who was announced as the Genesis Prize Laureate in November 2017, intended to re-allocate the $1-million US prize to philanthropic programs focused on women’s equality. The purse doubled a month later, thanks to an Israeli philanthropist.

Dubbed the “Jewish Nobel,” the prize is awarded to extraordinary individuals who inspire the next generation of Jews through their accomplishments. Previous honourees include Itzhak Perlman, Michael Douglas and Michael Bloomberg.