JERUSALEM, March 13, 2017 (WAFA) – American actor Richard Gere Sunday slammed Israel over the Jewish-only Israeli settlements across the occupied Palestinian territories.

Gere, 67, was quoted by Israeli newspaper Haaretz as saying that “there’s no defense of the occupation.”

“Settlements are such an absurd provocation... and they are certainly not part of the program of someone who wants a genuine peace process,” Gere said.

Gere told Haaretz that he had difficulty deciding whether to come to Israel or not due to his criticisms of the Israeli government policies.

The “Pretty Woman” star took a 48-hour trip to Israel to promote his new film ‘Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer,’ a film directed by Israeli writer-director Joseph Cedar and in which he stars.

K.T./ K.F.