Emma Watson's Pro Palestine Post Sparks Controversy

Just days after Emma Watson appeared alongside her co-stars in the Harry Potter reunion special episode, she’s received major backlash over a pro-Palestinian message she posted on Instagram.

Emma Watson, 31, posted an image of a pro-Palestine protest with the words: “Solidarity is a verb” across the middle of it. She captioned the post with a quote from British-Australian scholar and feminist Sara Ahmed, which read: “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. 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.”

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While the post has drawn in the support of millions of pro-Palestinians, it’s also received major criticism from a number of Israeli officials, including the former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations and Danny Danon, former science minister in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, who both accused the actress of being anti-semitist by showing solidarity with Palestine. 

Danny Danon posted a screenshot of the Instagram post on Twitter and said: “10 points from Gryffindor for being an antisemite,” tagging Emma Watson’s Twitter account. 

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Gilad Erdan, the current UN ambassador for Israel, also voiced his criticism, writing on Twitter: “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!”

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Emma’s Instagram bio says that the profile, which has more than 64 million followers, has been “taken over by an anonymous Feminist Collective” and her grid is filled with activist messages and calls to action on several issues Emma is passionate about.

As well as a hugely successful actress, Emma is an activist and campaigns for women’s rights. In 2014, she was appointed as the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and helped to launch the UN women’s campaign HeForShe.

Emma Watson isn’t the only celebrity to come under fire for showing solidarity on either side of the Israel-Palestine row. Gigi and Bella Hadid, who are half-Palestinian have faced similar backlash in the past for being vocal about their stance on the ongoing conflict.