Established in 2012, it is the Israeli equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Past recipients include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, violinist Itzhak Perlman, actor Michael Douglas and sculptor Anish Kapoor.
The Foundation stated, “[r]ecent 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.”
At the time, there was no elaboration as to what Portman specific objections were. However, many were speculating Portman was endorsing the BDS Movement she had previously opposed. The Israeli born Portman as well as other celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld and Sacha Baron Cohen came out against BDS' efforts to boycott the 2009 Toronto International Festival which was spotlighting several Israeli filmmakers.
This apparent reversal delighted BDS supporters while saddening members of the Israeli government. Imraan Siddiqui, the President of the Arizona chapter of CAIR tweeted, "What. Whoa.
Major major props to Natalie Portman for taking this stand." Meanwhile, Miri Regev, Israel's Minister of Culture, said Portman had “fallen like a ripe fruit into the hands of the BDS movement supporters."
Portman issued a statement clarifying that she has not reversed her position on BDS, but rather objects to current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and unspecified "atrocities":
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.
Again, Portman did not specify the "atrocities" not in line with her Jewish values she is likely referring to Palestinians killed rioting at Israel's security fence along the border with Gaza in recent weeks. Strange how Portman doesn't object to Hamas putting children in the line of fire nor does she seem troubled by the Israelis murdered by wanton ramming and stabbing attacks. Being in the presence of Netanyahu might be too much to bear, but plans to keep the $2 million prize which comes with the award.
In all honesty, I'm not sure why the Genesis Prize Foundation would bestow its prize upon Portman in the first place. In August 2015, Portman gave an interview to the British newspaper The Independent which she chided Jews for overemphasizing Holocaust education at the expense of other atrocities namely the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Portman said, “I think a really big question the Jewish community needs to ask itself,
is how much at the forefront we put Holocaust education. Which is, of
course, an important question to remember and to respect, but not over
other things." At the time of this interview, I wrote:
Now one might ask why we ought to care about what yet another Hollywood
actress thinks about the affairs of the world. Why should her opinion
about the Holocaust matter? It matters because Portman is Jewish, was
born in Israel (though she spent most of her childhood in this country),
and her paternal great-grandparents died at Auschwitz.
Had the Allies had been unable liberate the concentration camps 70
years ago and had Hitler and the Nazis triumphed, there would be no
Natalie Portman, no Israel, and no Jews. If an Israeli-born Jew whose
ancestors were killed at Auschwitz doesn’t understand what separates the
Holocaust from all other acts of genocide then we have a very big problem.
We also have a big problem when someone like Portman views the Palestinians suffering from "today's moral atrocities" in a manner equivalent to innocent people who were gassed in concentration camps and organizations like The Genesis Prize Foundation seek to glorify people who possess such a fundamental misunderstanding of the tragic and unique circumstances which accelerated Israel's founding. Perhaps next year, The Genesis Prize Foundation will choose someone more worthy of this prestigious prize.
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