“Harry Potter” star Emma Watson was accused of anti-Semitism over a pro-Palestinian Instagram post calling for solidarity.
The post, which Watson shared on Monday, featured a photo of a pro-Palestine rally with the words “Solidarity is a verb” overlaying the image. Watson included a caption from academic Sara Ahmed on the definition of solidarity. As of Wednesday, the post has received over 1.2 million likes.
The post sparked backlash from Israeli officials, including Danny Danon, who formerly served as the country’s science minister and later as its ambassador to the United Nations (UN). Danon shared Watson’s post on Twitter with the caption, “10 points from Gryffindor for being an antisemite.”
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10 points from Gryffindor for being an antisemite.@EmmaWatson pic.twitter.com/Qaqkx36JSg
— Ambassador Danny Danon | דני דנון (@dannydanon) January 3, 2022
Israel’s current ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, also expressed his disapproval on Twitter, writing that “fiction may work in Harry Potter but it does not work in reality.”
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! pic.twitter.com/u1TrP3sqSS
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) January 3, 2022
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Others pushed back against the accusations of anti-Semitism directed toward Watson. U.K. politician Sayeeda Warsi responded to Danon’s comments on Twitter, writing that “showing solidarity with Palestinians is not antisemitism.”
Repeat after me Mr…
Showing solidarity with Palestinians is not antisemitism
Appalling comments from former Israeli Ambassador to the UN
These constant attempts to stifle any and all support for Palestinians must be called out.
Solidarity @EmmaWatson #Palestine #EmmaWatson https://t.co/wldYw2PI36— Sayeeda Warsi (@SayeedaWarsi) January 3, 2022
MSNBC host Ayman Mohyeldin also shot back at Danon on Twitter, saying, “No joke, we are at the point where merely posting a vague picture referencing solidarity with Palestinians on Instagram gets you labeled as an antisemite.”
No joke, we are at the point where merely posting a vague picture referencing solidarity with Palestinians on Instagram gets you labeled as an antisemite. It’s only Jan 3. May God give me patience for the this year. https://t.co/DsH4K9umtd
— Ayman (@AymanM) January 3, 2022
A number of other celebrities have voiced their support for Palestine in the last year. Supermodel Bella Hadid attended a pro-Palestine march in New York in May following escalated tensions between Palestine and Israel, and author Sally Rooney refused to allow an Israeli company to translate her book “Beautiful World, Where Are You” into Hebrew in protest over the country’s policies toward Palestine.
