Emma Watson Sparks Criticism for Controversial Post
Emma Watson has sparked criticism and accusations of antisemitism stemming from a controversial social media post. Over on Instagram, Harry Potter actress Emma Watson shared an image showing support for Palestine. In the post caption, Watson shared a quote from British-Australian scholar Sara Ahmed.
"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 quote 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." The post has been met with quite a bit of backlash, as many seem to feel that Watson's show of support for Palestinians is a slight against Israelis.
In response to the post, some Israeli politicians have voiced their disapproval of Watson's stance. "Fiction may work in Harry Potter but it does not work in reality," tweeted Israel's current ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan. "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!" Danny Danon, the country's former ambassador to the United Nations, added, "10 points from Gryffindor for being an antisemite."
While there are very vocal critics, Watson also has some people who are speaking out and expressing gratitude for her position. "Thank you for being on the side of human rights, thank you for seeing through the propaganda and seeing the true oppression being felt by every Palestinian. Thank you for your humanity," an Instagram user wrote on the post. "Emma I am from Palestine and you can't believe how happy I felt when I saw that there are wonderful people like you who stand and support our leadership. I love you so much I want to cry," someone else added.
"Thank you for making the stance for the people that are oppressed and giving a spot light to an issue that tends to be misrepresented or dismissed. I respect the fact that you're using your platform to give a voice to the voiceless!" exclaimed a third supporter. At this time, Watson does not appear to have addressed the controversy surrounding her post.