Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s return to power has Israeli-American actress Natalie Portman in a tizzy, saying she was “very, very upset and disappointed” by the outcome of the March eletions.
“I’m very much against Netanyahu,” Portman told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Wednesday.
“I find his racist comments horrific,” said Portman of the prime minister’s controversial Election Day warning that Israel’s Arab residents were “voting in droves.”
Despite being critical of Netanyahu, the Israeli-born actress and director said that she was careful not to allow her celebrity to be used to “you know, shit on Israel.”
“I don’t want to do that,” she said.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Portman, who recently moved to France with her husband, admitted that she was nervous about being Jewish in Paris in light of the recent rise in anti-Semitic attacks in Europe.
“But I’d feel nervous being a black man in this country. I’d feel nervous being a Muslim in many places,” she added.
When asked if she was shaken by the Hyper Cacher attack, she calmly answered “Listen, I’m from Israel.”
Earlier this year, Portman finished filming her directorial debut, “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” a Hebrew film adaptation of Amos Oz’s autobiographical novel.
Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors.
Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy;
Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.
As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our DocuNation series of outstanding Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more.
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this