Portman pulls out of Israel award trip after latest violence
NATALIE PORTMAN has pulled out of a ceremony in Israel where she was due to receive an award hailed as the “Jewish Nobel Prize” because of her “extreme distress” over recent events in the country.
The American-israeli actress said she did not feel comfortable attending public events in Israel after the state was criticised for firing on Palestinian protesters in the Gaza strip.
The Genesis Prize recognises the “outstanding achievement by individuals who have attained excellence and international renown in their chosen professional fields [who] embody the character of the Jewish people”.
Previous recipients include Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor, Michael Douglas, the actor, Itzhak Perlman, a top violinist, and Anish Kapoor, a leading sculptor.
When Portman, who was born in Jerusalem and holds dual Israeli and US citizenship, was announced as the 2018 recipient late last year she said she was “proud of my Israeli roots and Jewish heritage”. However, the Genesis Foundation said it had cancelled June’s awards ceremony after the Oscar winner pulled out, adding it was “very saddened” by Portman’s decision.
The actress’s representative said that “recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to her and she does not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel” and that “she cannot in good conscience move forward with the ceremony”.
The statement did not refer to specific events, but the recent military response to Palestinian demonstrations on the Gaza-israel border has provoked international condemnation. Two more Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces yesterday with 83 injured as mass demonstrations continued.