Eloquent criticism has Netanyahu and his cronies running scared
It was only to be expected that, amidst the current discordant political atmosphere in Israel, the decision by Natalie Portman not to travel there to accept the Genesis Prize in an act of protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not go down well with large parts of Israeli society. It was the political right in particular that vilified the Hollywood star for exercising her democratic right to shun the ceremony after very eloquently explaining her reasons for doing so. After all, she is one of the most celebrated actresses of her generation, Jewish with dual Israeli and American citizenship and, worst of all, she is not someone who questions the right of Israel to exist. All the more reason to allow nationalistic tongues to wag uncontrollably in a vitriolic attack on her, as the criticism came from a loving friend rather than an enemy.
What made the Netanyahu camp, and some of its most thuggish members, so upset with Portman that they should embark on an attack so vile as to verge on character assassination? Quite simple: She hasn’t played to their script, and this scares them. This is a government that can’t take criticism. Any hint of it is followed by unchecked questioning of one’s patriotism and loyalty, something more associated with dictatorships than democracies.
One of the most provincial, though to an extent endearing, aspects of Israel is its great sense of pride when one of its daughters or sons does well abroad, be it in the arts, sports or business. But the country is equally unforgiving should any of its offspring dare to question its behavior, especially abroad. And this is Portman’s “crime” in the eyes of her critics. But for a country that prides itself on its democratic traditions and its morality, to employ such revolting language against a critic can hardly be reconciled with such noble standards.
Moreover, Portman has expressed her love and affection for the country on countless occasions, despite not living there since her childhood. Those who vilify her open a new and unnecessary front against a significant part of the Jewish diaspora that has, over the years, demonstrated its loyalty and support for the Jewish state far more often than it has been critical.
The Genesis Prize honors individuals “who serve as an inspiration to the next generation of Jews through their outstanding professional achievements along with their commitment to Jewish values and the Jewish people.” This makes Portman a more than worthy recipient. Furthermore, one could argue that her reasons for not attending the ceremony make it even more fitting that such a prize be bestowed on her, since she has shown exceptional commitment to protecting Jewish values long abandoned by Netanyahu.
As is customary, Netanyahu’s close circle remains strong on demagoguery, but short on facts and reason.
Yossi Mekelberg
Very articulately, though sensitively and cautiously, she explained on her Instagram account her reasons for declining to pick up the prize itself and, while it is obviously controversial, it most certainly shouldn’t be delegitimized. She vociferously opposes Netanyahu’s government and its policies, and doesn’t want to lend her celebrity status to a prime minister who is morally bankrupt and is a major hindrance to peace with the Palestinians. 
This was a personal choice that Portman was entitled to make, in the same way that one of the Israeli government’s most fervent critics, renowned novelist and peace campaigner David Grossman, was free to accept this year’s Israeli Prize for literature from Netanyahu and Education Minister Naftali Bennett — two people he would probably describe as his most ardent political opponents. Grossman made an equally controversial choice by declaring that, regardless of who handed him the prize, it was the country, which is so dear to him, that awarded it. Furthermore, if for Portman her refusal to travel to Israel gave her a platform from which to highlight her reasons for boycotting the ceremony, for Grossman it was an occasion to highlight his decades-long dedication to writing and campaigning for peace and equality for all.
Both approaches have their merits, and it is legitimate to question either. However, the hysterical response to Portman’s decision by Israeli politicians has no place in a civilized society. For a minister, Yuval Steinitz, to claim that her decision “has elements of anti-Semitism” is nothing short of disgraceful, and debases the true fight against anti-Semitism. Another lawmaker who is known for his hateful antics called for Portman’s Israeli citizenship to be stripped, while Netanyahu’s apologist culture minister Miri Regev claimed that Portman’s decision fell “like a ripe fruit into the hands of the BDS movement supporters.” As is customary, Netanyahu’s close circle remains strong on demagoguery, but short on facts and reason.
Anyone who would like to engage in a constructive and thoughtful debate with Portman should read her statement on Instagram. In her own words, she clarifies that she is not part of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, nor does she endorse it. She states how much she cherishes Israel and its cultural achievements, but in the same breath expresses her dismay at the “violence, corruption, inequality and abuse of power” that is so prevalent today and has characterized the Netanyahu years.
Portman stands against the occupation and the deprivation of millions of Palestinians of their human and political rights. She, like many of us, is appalled by the trigger-happy Israeli soldiers who shoot dead innocent protesters along the border in Gaza. She can’t understand how a country whose raison d’etre is the need for a safe haven for those escaping persecution can turn its back on less than 50,000 African refugees fleeing the horrors of war just because they are black and not Jewish. And she refuses to tolerate an Israeli prime minister, and his family, who are more interested in sipping expensive champagne and smoking equally pricey cigars given to them as “presents” from rich friends, rather than working tirelessly for the 30 percent of children in Israel living below the poverty line.
For Portman, to receive the Genesis Prize from this particular prime minister would have demeaned the prize itself, the reasons for awarding it to her, and would have compromised her core Jewish values and the values she would like Israel to adhere to. It doesn’t make her less patriotic (as much as I try to avoid that word), but if anything more patriotic than most of her critics. Her action has demonstrated her thoughtful, caring and humane personality — attributes that every civilized society should praise and embrace.
• Yossi Mekelberg is professor of international relations at Regent’s University London, where he is head of the International Relations and Social Sciences Program. He is also an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. He is a regular contributor to the international written and electronic media.
Twitter: @YMekelberg
