Will Natalie Portman, Born at Jerusalem, Denounce Her Powerful Agent’s Instagram Posts?

An Academy Award winning actress, Natalie Portman, the most prominent Israeli in Hollywood, has been silent as her longtime talent agent has come under fire for an Instagram post accusing Israel of “genocide.” Her silence stands in contrast to her vocal support of her native Israel in recent weeks, including supporting fundraisers for victims of the Hamas attacks, on her widely followed Instagram account. Ms. Portman’s agent at the powerful Creative Artists Agency, Maha Dakhil, whose clientele also includes Tom Cruise, Anne Hathaway, and Madonna, is resigning, effective immediately, from her leadership duties in CAA’s Motion Pictures Department after reposting material referring to Israel’s response to Hamas as genocide, the Sun has confirmed. Ms. Dakhil, whose account now appears to have zero posts and to have been taken private, put a response from a “Free Palestine” account on her Instagram on Wednesday. The post read: “You’re currently learning who supports genocide,” to which Ms. Dakhil responded: “That’s the line for me,” Variety reported. She also posted a photo captioned, “What’s more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening.” VENICE, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 06: Maha Dakhil attends a red carpet for the movie “Origin” at the 80th Venice International Film Festival. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images)After facing fierce backlash, Ms. Dakhil apologized and told Variety the Instagram repost was a mistake. “I pride myself on being on the side of humanity and peace,” she said. “I’m so grateful to Jewish friends and colleagues who pointed out the implications and further educated me. I immediately took the repost down. I’m sorry for the pain I have caused.”Ms. Dakhil will be taking time to educate herself with “thought leaders,” the Sun has learned from a source familiar with the issue. CAA’s top executives, Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane, sent an email to employees expressing compassion for Ms. Dakhil, Puck reported.“In this time of too much divisiveness and suffering, we choose to help one another; we choose to be compassionate and forgiving; and we choose the optimism of education and personal growth,” the email said. LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 05: (L-R) Tina Tchen, Jill Soloway, Ava DuVernay, Melina Matsoukas, Rashida Jones, Maha Dakhil, Nina Shaw and Natalie Portman attend The 2018 MAKERS Conference at NeueHouse Hollywood on February 5, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for MAKERS)Puck’s Matt Belloni pointed out that Ms. Dakhil’s stepping back from her leadership role was largely symbolic, as she will continue to perform her primary role of representing A-list talent. “They’re choosing to be ‘compassionate and forgiving’?? Can’t make this stuff up,” he wrote of CAA’s ruthless culture, in which talent agents “would abandon their families if it meant getting two inches closer to a movie star—and screwing rival agents.”Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, Ms. Portman, who was born at Jerusalem and identifies as Jewish, has been vocal on her Instagram account in support of her native country, including posting videos to free Israeli children kidnapped by Hamas.“Children, women, and the elderly have been murdered and abducted from their own homes,” she wrote. “I am in horror at these barbaric acts and my heart is pounding with love and prayer for the families of all affected.”In 2018, Ms. Portman courted controversy when she declined to attend an Israeli awards ceremony at which she was to be honored because the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was speaking at the same event. The actress, whose sympathies lie with Israel’s Jewish left, has distanced herself from Mr. Netanyahu and his right-wing policies, but has always evinced strong support for Israel and fiercely denounced antisemitism. Most notably, Ms. Portman in 2011 cut ties with Dior after its lead designer, John Galliano, was caught on tape drunkenly berating patrons of a Paris bar with taunts including, “I love Hitler.” “I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano’s comments that surfaced today,” Ms. Portman said at the time, calling for people to reflect on prejudices. “In light of this video, and as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be associated with Mr. Galliano in any way.” Ms. Portman’s publicists did not respond to requests from the Sun for comment. CAA, which declined a request from the Sun to comment further, issued a statement on October 10 in support of Israel. “CAA stands with the people of Israel, the Jewish community, and all innocent victims in the face of horrific acts of terrorsim,” the statement read. “For those with family, friends, or loved ones living in or connected to Israel and the region, our thoughts are with you.”

Will Natalie Portman, Born at Jerusalem, Denounce Her Powerful Agent’s Instagram Posts?

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