Free Republic

Actress Natalie Portman's initially stated reason for canceling a scheduled trip to Israel to receive the prestigious Genesis Prize was that she didn't want to "appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu," who was also scheduled to appear at the event. But her reason seems to have changed throughout the process. Portman's decision to skip the event organized in her honor was first announced last Thursday by the Genesis Prize Foundation, which said it was notified by Portman's representative that "she does not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel" because "recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to...

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will be honored on Monday as the first recipient of a $1 million award that organizers are calling the “Jewish Nobel Prize.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel will present the award, named the Genesis Prize, to Mr. Bloomberg at a ceremony in Jerusalem in May. The award, established by a charity founded by Russian Jewish billionaires, aims to honor “exceptional people whose values and achievements will inspire the next generations of Jews.” The announcement of the inaugural award will be made at a news conference in New York on Monday. The charity, the Genesis Philanthropy...