Natalie Portman, an American-Israeli actress, had won in 2018 the “Jewish Nobel” called the Genesis Prize, an award given to people committed to the Jewish-Israeli people and which includes 2 million dollars.
However, Portman left Israel without a ceremony by rejecting the prize for “not wanting to support Netanyahu.” She did not want to attend because she believed her presence could mean that she agreed with “his policies.” The authorities did not take it well at all and considered it a “boycott.”
Later, the actress commented on her social media: “Israel was created exactly 70 years ago as a refuge for the victims of the Holocaust. But the mistreatment of those suffering the atrocities of today 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.”
The ceremony continued to be held in later years, with Javier Milei, president of Argentina, being the winner of the award in 2025, but everyone remembers the year it could not be held because of Portman’s rejection.
