Emma Watson under fire from Israeli officials after pro-Palestine Instagram post

Harry Potter fame Emma Watson found herself sparking controversy after she extended support for Palestine on an Instagram post on Monday. Following her social media post, the actor was at the receiving end of criticism from Israeli officials.

Watson was termed an 'antisemite' following the controversy. However, there were some who praised the Harry Potter actor for her statement and criticised the use of the word 'anti-semite' for her.

Emma Watson under fire for pro-Palestine post on Instagram

Emma Watson reposted an image from Bad Activist Collective, which had an image of a protest where 'Free Palestine' and other banners were held by the protestors. The graphic had the words 'solidarity is a verb' written on it.  

The caption had a quote from activist-scholar Sara Ahmed, that 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."

Interestingly, Emma's Instagram bio read, "Emma's official Instagram has been taken over by an anonymous Feminist Collective." The quote was posted by Bad Activist Collective during the 11-day clash between Israel and Palestine last year.

At that time, many other celebrities had expressed their thoughts on it, including Israeli actor Gal Gadot. The Wonder Woman star had then said that she only wanted peace for her nation, and it was heartbreaking for her to see the war. 

Israel ambassador accuses Emma Watson of being an 'antisemite' 

Emma Watson's post was condemned by the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan. The ambassador referred to association with the magical world in the Harry Potter films and said that 'fiction' worked in Harry Potter, but not in the real world. He then wrote that if the fiction indeed worked, the 'wizarding world' could eliminate Hamas, whom he termed as the organisation that "oppresses women & seeks the annihilation of Israel" and the Palestinian National Authority, which he termed as one that 'supports terror.'

The former Israel ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, accused Watson of being an anti-semite.

Some, however, defended Emma and many also expressed their displeasure at the use of the word 'antisemite' against her.