RAMALLAH, April 21, 2018 (WAFA) – Oscar-winning American Jewish actress Natalie Portman said on Friday that she has decided not to attend an award ceremony in Israel and accept a $1 million award due to her objections to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies and mistreat of those suffering from atrocities.

Portman, 36, was supposed to receive the 2018 Genesis Prize for Jewish celebrities and to donate the prize money to charities.

However, and according to the website of the foundation of Genesis Prize, Portman’s representative said last week that “recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to her and she does not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel.”

After a backlash Portman received from right wing Israeli officials for cancelling her Israel visit, she issued a personal statement explaining why she chose not to attend the ceremony, saying that while she does not endorse the Israel boycott movement, BDS, she does not either endorse Netanyahu and is opposed to violence and atrocities.

“My decision not to attend the Genesis Prize ceremony has been mischaracterized by others,” she wrote in a statement. “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.”

Portman also cited mistreatment of those suffering from atrocities, a reference many understood related to the recent Israeli army killing of dozens of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and injury of thousands others, as another reason for cancelling her visit.

“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.”

Due to Portman’s decision, the Genesis Prize award ceremony, which was scheduled for June 28, has been cancelled.

K.T./M.K.