Natalie Portman Addresses Canceled Israel Trip: ‘I Must Stand Up Against Violence’
One politician suggested Portman’s citizenship should be revoked over her decision
Matt Donnelly | April 20, 2018 @ 4:05 PM
Last Updated: April 20, 2018 @ 4:27 PM
Photography by Genevieve Caron
Natalie Portman has spoken out about political unrest surrounding her Israeli citizenship and a canceled trip to the country.
“My decision not to attend … has been mischaracterized by others. Let me speak for myself,” Portman wrote on Instagram on Friday.
The “Black Swan” star canceled a scheduled June appearance on Thursday over recent events she found “extremely distressing,” and says she no longer felt comfortable taking a recognition from Israel’s Genesis Prize Foundation.
“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 [Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions ] 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,” Portman wrote.
Likud party member Oren Hazan challenged the star’s move, reported the Israeli National News.
“[She is] a Jewish Israeli, who on the one hand cynically uses her birthplace to advance her career and on the other is proud of the fact that she managed to avoid enlisting in the IDF. She’s an actress, but she is unworthy of any honor in the State of Israel,” Hazan said.
Hazan added: “Sweetness can come from strength: I call on Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) to rescind Portman’s Israeli citizenship. She left Israel at age four, and has no real connection to the State.”
While Portman did not address the politician by name, she concluded her post by saying, “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. O, corruption, inequality, and abuse of power.”
Read her full remarks:
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. O, corruption, inequality, and abuse of power.
How Natalie Portman's 'Jackie' Costumes Match Jackie Kennedy's Real Fashion Looks (Photos)
Natalie Portman stars as Jacqueline Kennedy in Fox Searchlight's "Jackie," along with Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig and Billy Crudup.
Fox Searchlight
The pink Chanel suit and matching pillbox hat is one of the most iconic outfits Jackie wore -- including on the day her husband, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated. She wore the blood-splattered outfit all the way until she returned to the White House that day. The suit will not be available to the public eye until put on display in 2103.
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Jackie gave a famous tour of the White House for CBS, a television first, on Valentine's Day, 1962. She wore a red suit and donned her famous hairstyle.
CBS
Jackie loved social events. In the film, Jackie wears a gorgeous green gown during a classical music concert in the White House. On the right, Jackie sits next to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in Vienna. The elbow-length gloves were a major fashion staple in her wardrobe.
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Jackie Kennedy's iconic style was chic and timeless, as is portrayed in this gorgeous black dress Portman wore in the film (courtesy of the film's costume designer, Madeline Fontaine).
Fox Searchlight
Another signature look for Jackie was the cape, which she frequently wore as a dramatic accessory. In the film, Portman wears a stunning red dress to the ball in Vienna alongside John F. Kennedy.
Fox Searchlight
Another chic dress worn by Portman in the film was a little black number with a cutout in the décolletage area.
Fox Searchlight
When Jackie marched on foot behind the casket carrying her dead husband during the funeral possession, the now former First Lady wore a black ensemble with a veiled black hat. This marked the first time that a first lady walked in her husband's funeral procession.
Fox Searchlight
In the days after JFK's assassination, Jackie's possessions were being packed up. But Jackie never lost her poised, well-dressed self along the way.
Fox Searchlight
In the film, Billy Crudup interviews Jackie about the assassination. In the scene, she dons her classic haircut created by Kenneth Battelle, with a glamorous beige sweater.
Fox Searchlight
In one scene, Portman wears a coat with a scarf tied around her neck -- another one of Kennedy's fashion staples.
Fox Searchlight
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The pink suit and matching pillbox hat, the funeral veil — see all the stunning fashion choices worn by Natalie Portman in “Jackie”
Natalie Portman stars as Jacqueline Kennedy in Fox Searchlight's "Jackie," along with Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig and Billy Crudup.