A first edition of Harry Potter reaches a record price at 1:11 auction
(CNN) -
A pro-Palestinian Instagram post by Hollywood star Emma Watson sparked accusations of anti-Semitism by Israeli politicians, as well as a backlash against what many see as a cynical use of the term to attack. to the supporters of the Palestinian cause.
On Monday, Watson, who rose to global stardom after playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, posted an image of a pro-Palestinian demonstration with the words "Solidarity is a verb," with a quote from scholar Sara Ahmed about it. meaning of solidarity in the caption.
As of this Wednesday, the publication had more than 1.2 million "likes", as well as thousands of comments divided between those who support Watson and those who criticize his position.
View this post on Instagram
advertising
A post shared by Emma Watson (@emmawatson)
The publication attracted the attention of Israeli politicians, including Danny Danon, the country's former ambassador to the United Nations (UN), who shared Watson's post on his official Twitter account along with the caption: "10 points for Gryffindor for being anti-Semitic. "
10 points from Gryffindor for being an antisemite. @ EmmaWatson pic.twitter.com/Qaqkx36JSg
- Ambassador Danny Danon |
דני דנון (@dannydanon) January 3, 2022
Gilad Erdan, Israel's current ambassador to the UN, also reacted on his official Twitter account.
"Fiction may work in Harry Potter, but it doesn't work in reality," Erdan tweeted.
"If it worked, the magic used in the wizarding world could eliminate the evils of Hamas (which oppresses women and seeks the annihilation of Israel) and the PA (which supports terror). I would be in favor of that! "he added, referring with PA to the Palestinian Authority.
Fiction may work in Harry Potter but it does not work in reality.
If it did, the magic used in the wizarding world could eliminate the evils of Hamas (which oppresses women & seeks the annihilation of Israel) and the PA (which supports terror).
I would be in favor of that!
pic.twitter.com/u1TrP3sqSS
- Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@ giladerdan1) January 3, 2022
Reactions against Israeli politicians who criticized Emma Watson
It is not the first time that Israeli officials have reacted with fury to public demonstrations of support for the Palestinians, and the latest comments were replicated online.
Leah Greenberg, Co-CEO of Indivisible, a progressive political campaign organization based in the United States, responded to Danon on Twitter.
"A perfect demonstration of the utterly cynical and bad faith use of anti-Semitism to silence basic expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people," Greenberg wrote.
a perfect demonstration of the utterly cynical and bad-faith weaponization of antisemitism to shut down basic expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people https://t.co/9jmhAs3Otc
- Leah Greenberg (@Leahgreenb) January 3, 2022
And British politician Sayeeda Warsi also responded to Danon on Twitter.
"Showing solidarity with the Palestinians is not anti-Semitism," he wrote.
"These constant attempts to suppress all support for the Palestinians must be denounced."
Repeat after me Mr…
Showing solidarity with Palestinians is not antisemitism
Appalling comments from former Israeli Ambassador to the UN
These constant attempts to stifle any and all support for Palestinians must be called out.
Solidarity @EmmaWatson #Palestine 🇵🇸 #EmmaWatson https://t.co/wldYw2PI36
- Sayeeda Warsi (@SayeedaWarsi) January 3, 2022
MSNBC host and former CNN journalist Ayman Mohyeldin was another of those who commented.
"This is not a joke, we are at a point where the mere fact of posting a vague photo that refers to solidarity with the Palestinians on Instagram causes you to be labeled anti-Semitic," he tweeted.
No joke, we are at the point where merely posting a vague picture referencing solidarity with Palestinians on Instagram gets you labeled as an antisemite.
It's only Jan 3. May God give me patience for the this year.
https://t.co/DsH4K9umtd
- Ayman (@AymanM) January 3, 2022
Other celebrities have also come under fire for their support of the Palestinian cause.
In October 2021, Irish writer Sally Rooney said she had decided not to sell the translation rights to her latest novel to an Israel-based publisher, citing her concerns about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Nachman Shai, Israel's minister for Diaspora Affairs, criticized Rooney's decision on Twitter.
"The cultural boycott of Israel, anti-Semitism in a new guise," he wrote.
Emma Watson Israel Palestine
