Israeli officials stressed that it’ll take more than the magic prevalent in Emma Watson’s movies to solve the Middle East conflict, after the Hollywood heavyweight posted in apparent solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
On Monday a post appeared on Watson’s Instagram account featuring a graphic titled “Solidarity is a verb” pasted over a photo of demonstrators holding “Free Palestine” signs.
Watson added a caption quoting an Arab activist urging people to get actively involved in this so-called “solidarity.”
Israel’s envoy to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, was quick to respond, telling Watson that merely wishing things into existence doesn’t work in the real world.
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
Watson publicly took a step back from acting some years ago. It was around that time that she also stopped posting on social media. Her Instagram and other accounts laid mostly dormant until late last year around the time of the climate change summit in Glasgow. Her newer posts to Instagram came with a header message informing followers:
“Emma's official Instagram has been taken over by an anonymous Feminist Collective.”
As such, it remains unclear if Watson herself was behind the pro-Palestinian post, or if it was uploaded by an organization she has authorized to post on her behalf.
