Emma Watson has been accused by Israeli politicians of being anti-Semitic after she shared a post in support of Palestine.
The actor posted on Instagram (January 2) a photo of a pro-Palestine protest with the phrase “Solidarity is a verb” written across. In the caption, Watson quoted academic Sara Ahmed on the meaning of solidarity.
“Solidarity does not assume that our struggles are the same struggles, or that our pain is the same pain, or that our hope is for the same future,” the caption reads.
“Solidarity involves commitment, and work, as well as the recognition that even if we do not have the same feelings, or the same lives, or the same bodies, we do live on common ground.”
After some Israeli political figures highlighted the post, others came to Watson’s defence.
Following the post, Danny Danon, Israel’s former ambassador to the United Nations, tweeted: “10 points from Gryffindor for being an antisemite. @EmmaWatson.”
Danon’s comments were criticised by Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, who wrote: “Showing solidarity with Palestinians is not antisemitism. Appalling comments from former Israeli Ambassador to the UN.”
The current Israeli UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan, also responded negatively to Watson’s post. “Fiction may work in Harry Potter but it does not work in reality,” Erdan wrote.
“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 favour of that!”
NME has reached out to Watson’s representatives for comment.
Watson recently reunited with her Harry Potter co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint for the 20th anniversary special Return To Hogwarts.
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In the special, Watson, who played Hermione Granger, revealed she almost quit the film franchise halfway through.
“I think I was scared,” Watson said. “I don’t know if you ever felt like it got to a tipping point where you were like, ‘This is kind of forever now.’”
She added: “It was around the time of Order Of The Phoenix when things started getting spicy for all of us. The fame thing had finally hit home – in a big way.”
