Date: 22nd April 2002

Portman Puts Pen To Paper For Israel


Star Wars (1977) beauty Natalie Portman Has gotten involved in an earth- based conflict - she's spoken out to defend Israel from allegations of racism.

The Léon (1994) actress, who was born in the beleaguered country, has fired off a furious letter to Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper of the prestigious university she attends.

Portman was responding to an article in the rag by fellow undergraduate Faisal Chaudhry. The student described Israeli activity on the disputer West Bank as "racist colonial occupation, in which white Israeli soldiers destroy refugee camps of the brown people they have dispossessed for decades".

Portman's eloquent reply reads, "What he says is distortion, as most Israelis and Palestinians are indistinguishable physically. The Israeli government is composed of a great number of Sephardic Jews, many of whom originate from Arab counties. The minister of defence, the minister of finance and the president of Israel are all, in fact, 'brown'. On this week's Newsweek cover, the 18-year-old female Palestinian suicide bomber and her 17-year-old female Israeli victim could easily pass for twins. "

Source: WENN