"Israelis are still trying to digest Portman's refusal to attend the ceremony to accept the prestigious Genesis Prize, sometimes referred to as the Jewish Nobel.
This year's Genesis Prize winner selects charities that receive a total of $US2 million ($2.6 million). The Hollywood star, who was born in Israel, accepted the prize late last year. But as the death toll in Gaza mounted recently, she announced she would not attend the prize ceremony in June. She posted a clarifying statement on Instagram, saying she did not want to appear to be endorsing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He was due to appear at the ceremony.
And in an apparent reference to the Palestinian deaths in Gaza, she wrote: "… the mistreatment of those suffering from today's atrocities is simply not in line with my Jewish values."
Reaction in Israel was swift. Members of Israel's parliament, the Knesset, demanded that her citizenship be revoked.
Others went further. Speaking on Israeli television, Oren Hazan, a Member of the Knesset for the governing Likud party, said Portman, who is Jewish, was anti-Semitic. "What Natalie Portman did, she played as a tool for those that hate us more, " he said."
This, IMO, just about sums up what's wrong with our world today - "If you agree with me - OK. If you disagree with me you are against me"! No one is really willing to see issues from the other side!!
