PELAKON Natalie Portman yang dilaporkan menolak hadir dan menerima anugerah dalam satu acara anjuran Perdana Menteri Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu semalam, memaklumkan bahawa tindakan itu bukan bersifat kebencian terhadap negara asalnya itu.

Dalam entri di Instagram, Portman menjelaskan keputusan itu diambil kerana dia tidak mahu dianggap menyokong segala tindakan Netanyahu, yang dijemput memberi ucapan pada acara itu.

Kata Portman, sebagai pemegang kewarganegaraan Israel, dia mempunyai hak untuk menyuarakan pendapat dan mengkritik pentadbiran negara itu, namun ia tidak bermakna dia membenci Israel.

My 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. By the same token, I am not part of the BDS 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. I treasure my Israeli friends and family, Israeli food, books, art, cinema, and dance. 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. Because I care about Israel, I must stand up against violence, corruption, inequality, and abuse of power. 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.

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"Saya tidak memboikot Israel. Saya masih menghargai keluarga saya di sana dan semua tentang Israel; makanan, buku dan sejarahnya.

"Tetapi penganiayaan yang dilakukan dan penderitaan mereka yang terbabit tidak seiring dengan nilai-nilai Yahudi yang saya pegang. Kerana saya sayangkan Israel, saya harus menentang keganasan, rasuah, ketidakadilan, dan penyalahgunaan kuasa," tulis Portman.

Israel menerima kritikan masyarakat antarabangsa berhubung reaksinya terhadap protes Palestin di sempadan Gaza-Israel baru-baru ini, yang mengorbankan 35 rakyat Palestin dan beratus-ratus lagi cedera.