RAMALLAH, January 22, 2018 (WAFA) – The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) in South Asia and other pro-Palestinian activists have slammed some Bollywood actors, actresses and figures for welcoming and embracing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to India.

Speaking to the Middle East Eye, Apoorva Gautam, head of the BDS movement in South Asia, expressed disappointment in Bollywood for falling for Israel’s “cultural propaganda”

“These initiatives are ultimately part of a wider move by the Israelis to improve its image globally as it continues to perpetrate war crimes against the Palestinians,” he said.

"The Israelis‘ attention has now shifted to Bollywood, as the BDS movement gains traction in America and Europe. For many years Hollywood was used to depict Israel as being a free country that was democratic. But now more and more actors and industry leaders are coming out against Israel and subverting this perception,” he added.

"This is ultimately another form of cultural propaganda that must be condemned and stopped from taking place."

The BDS strong reaction came after Netanyahu has tweeted an Oscar-style selfie with major Bollywood figures like Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya Rai during “Shalom Bollywood,” a festival sponsored by the Israeli government to promote and improve the Israeli image in India.

Pro-Palestinians praised actors Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan for refusing to meet with Netanyahu due to Israel’s violations against Palestinians.

K.T./M.K.