<p>After being criticised for his controversial remarks on sexual harassment in Hollywood, actor Matt Damon said that he vows to spend more time listening and less time talking.<br />
<br />
Damon apologized for his comments on sexual misconduct and severely criticised for his insensitive remarks. In a recent interview to a leading US channel, Damon was asked what he`d learn from the criticism of his comments and the actor replied, &quot;I really wish I`d listened a lot more before I weighed in on this. I don`t want to further anybody`s pain with anything that I do or say. So for that, I am really sorry.&quot;</p>

<p>The&nbsp;star also noted that he loves and respects the women that are coming ahead and speaking about their horrific experiences with the #TimesUp movement.<br />
<br />
&quot;[With] Time`s Up, a lot of those women are my dear friends, and I love them and respect them and support what they`re doing,&quot; explained Damon.<br />
<br />
He concluded his comments by saying that he wants to be a part of the change that has been happening in the industry but feels that he should take a backseat for a while and keep his mouth shut.<br />
<br />
Damon had earlier in an interview said that while he finds it &quot;wonderful&quot; that women are speaking out against their alleged perpetrators, there is a &quot;continuum&quot; with respect to questionable behaviour.At that time he said, &quot;I think it`s wonderful that women are feeling empowered to tell their stories, and it`s totally necessary. I do believe there`s a spectrum of behaviour.There`s a difference between patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation, right? Both of those behaviors need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn`t be conflated.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">MEA CULPA: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MattDamon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MattDamon</a> offers an apology after his comments about sexual misconduct drew criticism. The Oscar winner had said that there were varying levels of sexual misconduct and the retribution should reflect that <a href="https://t.co/D3u6s9A3BX">https://t.co/D3u6s9A3BX</a> <a href="https://t.co/7I8XtLBEeq">pic.twitter.com/7I8XtLBEeq</a></p>
&mdash; AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) <a href="https://twitter.com/APEntertainment/status/953392998238375937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Actresses Alyssa Milano and Damon`s <em>Good Will Hunting</em>&nbsp;co-star Minnie Driver were among the high-profile Hollywood women to criticize the actor`s comments.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(With agency inputs)</p>


The star also noted that he loves and respects the women that are coming ahead and speaking about their horrific experiences with the #TimesUp movement.

After being criticised for his controversial remarks on sexual harassment in Hollywood, actor Matt Damon said that he vows to spend more time listening and less time talking. Damon apologized for his comments on sexual misconduct and severely criticised for his insensitive remarks. In a recent interview to a leading US channel, Damon was asked what he`d learn from the criticism of his comments and the actor replied, "I really wish I`d listened a lot more before I weighed in on this. I don`t want to further anybody`s pain with anything that I do or say. So for that, I am really sorry." The star also noted that he loves and respects the women that are coming ahead and speaking about their horrific experiences with the #TimesUp movement. "[With] Time`s Up, a lot of those women are my dear friends, and I love them and respect them and support what they`re doing," explained Damon. He concluded his comments by saying that he wants to be a part of the change that has been happening in the industry but feels that he should take a backseat for a while and keep his mouth shut. Damon had earlier in an interview said that while he finds it "wonderful" that women are speaking out against their alleged perpetrators, there is a "continuum" with respect to questionable behaviour.At that time he said, "I think it`s wonderful that women are feeling empowered to tell their stories, and it`s totally necessary. I do believe there`s a spectrum of behaviour.There`s a difference between patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation, right? Both of those behaviors need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn`t be conflated." MEA CULPA: #MattDamon offers an apology after his comments about sexual misconduct drew criticism. The Oscar winner had said that there were varying levels of sexual misconduct and the retribution should reflect that https://t.co/D3u6s9A3BX pic.twitter.com/7I8XtLBEeq — AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) January 16, 2018 × Actresses Alyssa Milano and Damon`s Good Will Hunting co-star Minnie Driver were among the high-profile Hollywood women to criticize the actor`s comments. (With agency inputs)

Matt Damon apologises for his comments on sexual misconduct; vows to spend more time listening

<p>Actor and producer Matt Damon is&nbsp;in the center of a storm after making controversial&nbsp;comments about sexual misconduct in a recent interview.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In an interview called &quot;Popcorn with Peter Travers&quot;&nbsp;on ABC News, Damon was quoted as saying that that although he is all for empowered women who come forward with their sexual harassment experiences, but they should also have an understanding that there is a &quot;spectrum of behavior&quot;&nbsp;that must be respected and that some cases may not be as bad as other severe ones, media reports say.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Damon said, &quot;I think it&#39;s wonderful that women are feeling empowered to tell their stories and it&#39;s totally necessary.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>He further added &quot;You know, there&#39;s a difference between, you know, patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation, right? Both of those behaviours need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn&#39;t be conflated.&quot;</p>

<p>While addressing the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/actress-portia-de-rossi-accuses-steven-seagal-of-sexual-harassment-23862" target="_blank"> Louise CK case</a> Damon said: &quot;The Louis C.K. thing. When he came out and said, &#39;I did this. I did these things. These women are all telling the truth. Well, that&#39;s the sign of somebody who - well, we can work with that.&nbsp;The fear for me is that right now, we&#39;re in this moment where at the moment - and I hope it doesn&#39;t stay this way - the clearer signal to men and to younger people is, deny it. Because if you take responsibility for what you did, your life&#39;s going to get ruined,&quot; noted Damon.</p>

<p>This has since created a major stir on Twitter. Actresses Alyssa Milano and ex Minnie Driver&nbsp;hit back at Damon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Milano posted an&nbsp;open letter on Twitter explaining that sexual harassment, misconduct, assault and violence are all the same, regardless of the spectrum.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dear Matt Damon,<br />
<br />
It&rsquo;s the micro that makes the macro.<br />
<br />
(Thread)</p>
&mdash; Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) <a href="https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/941840663087218689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are in a &ldquo;culture of outrage&rdquo; because the magnitude of rage is, in fact, overtly outrageous. And it is righteous.</p>
&mdash; Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) <a href="https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/941840799506898944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I have been a victim of each component of the sexual assault spectrum of which you speak. They all hurt. And they are all connected to a patriarchy intertwined with normalized, accepted--even welcomed-- misogyny.</p>
&mdash; Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) <a href="https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/941840946420789250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are not outraged because someone grabbed our asses in a picture. We are outraged because we were made to feel this was normal. We are outraged because we have been gaslighted. We are outraged because we were silenced for so long.</p>
&mdash; Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) <a href="https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/941841081200607232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">There are different stages of cancer. Some more treatable than others. But it&rsquo;s still cancer.</p>
&mdash; Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) <a href="https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/941841252516900864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sexual harassment, misconduct, assault and violence is a systemic disease. The tumor is being cut out right now with no anesthesia. Please send flowers. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MeToo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MeToo</a></p>
&mdash; Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) <a href="https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/941842010540982273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Damon&#39;s ex-girlfriend Minnie Driver also expressed her opinion on the same and also replied to several users addressing the subject.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">There are so many men I love who do NOT frame the differentiation between sexual misconduct assault and rape as an excuse or worse- our problem. Such bollocks..</p>
&mdash; Minnie Driver (@driverminnie) <a href="https://twitter.com/driverminnie/status/941737539181805569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Gosh it&rsquo;s so *interesting how men with all these opinions about women&rsquo;s differentiation between sexual misconduct, assault and rape reveal themselves to be utterly tone deaf and as a result, systemically part of the problem( *profoundly unsurprising)</p>
&mdash; Minnie Driver (@driverminnie) <a href="https://twitter.com/driverminnie/status/941739322474086400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Look , weather you&rsquo;re joking or not - women being worried about weather powerful men in my industry will still give them work if they speak up is part of the bloody problem.</p>
&mdash; Minnie Driver (@driverminnie) <a href="https://twitter.com/driverminnie/status/941749111107100672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Driver and Damon previously starred together in 1997&rsquo;s&nbsp;<em>Good Will Hunting</em> and&nbsp;dated for a short time&nbsp;afterwards. Their relationship ended awkwardly in 1998 when Damon&nbsp;denied he had a&nbsp;girlfriend&nbsp;while appearing on&nbsp;<em>The Oprah Winfrey Show, </em>media reports said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Several other Twitter users also took to the micro-blogging site and voiced their thoughts.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The problem with responses like the ones Tom Hanks &amp; Matt Damon gave today is that men are taught their opinion is important even if it&#39;s about an issue they don&#39;t know much about, while women are taught to apologize for their opinions even when they&#39;re well versed in the topic.</p>
&mdash; Allison Gilbert (@AllisonWynifred) <a href="https://twitter.com/AllisonWynifred/status/941501818172981248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Matt Damon in some sh* yet again ?? I never used to read bad things about him, what happened?<br />
Inquiring minds want to know.</p>
&mdash; VMnlop (@VMnlop) <a href="https://twitter.com/VMnlop/status/941977116140277761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/mattdamon_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mattdamon_</a> Matt, I have a different way to explain the difference between sexual assault and inappropriate behavior as you tried to do.</p>
&mdash; bigbadwolf (@biggbadwolf) <a href="https://twitter.com/biggbadwolf/status/941977265461608448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Someone should tell Matt Damon it&#39;s OK to just not say stuff sometimes. As in, just sitting there quietly. That&#39;s alright.</p>
&mdash; Gr&aacute;inne O&#39;Christmas Tree Brien (@Gra_OBrien) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gra_OBrien/status/941974741954514949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>This is not the first time Damon has addressed sexual assault allegations.</p>

<p>Speaking about the Weinstein scandal in October, he described the shamed Hollywood mogul as an &quot;a**hole&quot; and confirmed that he knew of Gwyneth Paltrow&#39;s accusations about Weinstein.</p>


This has since created a major sit on Twitter, including actress Alyssa Milano and ex Minnie Driver to hit back at Damon

Actor and producer Matt Damon is in the center of a storm after making controversial comments about sexual misconduct in a recent interview. In an interview called "Popcorn with Peter Travers" on ABC News, Damon was quoted as saying that that although he is all for empowered women who come forward with their sexual harassment experiences, but they should also have an understanding that there is a "spectrum of behavior" that must be respected and that some cases may not be as bad as other severe ones, media reports say. Damon said, "I think it's wonderful that women are feeling empowered to tell their stories and it's totally necessary." He further added "You know, there's a difference between, you know, patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation, right? Both of those behaviours need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn't be conflated." While addressing the Louise CK case Damon said: "The Louis C.K. thing. When he came out and said, 'I did this. I did these things. These women are all telling the truth. Well, that's the sign of somebody who - well, we can work with that. The fear for me is that right now, we're in this moment where at the moment - and I hope it doesn't stay this way - the clearer signal to men and to younger people is, deny it. Because if you take responsibility for what you did, your life's going to get ruined," noted Damon. This has since created a major stir on Twitter. Actresses Alyssa Milano and ex Minnie Driver hit back at Damon. Milano posted an open letter on Twitter explaining that sexual harassment, misconduct, assault and violence are all the same, regardless of the spectrum. Dear Matt Damon, It’s the micro that makes the macro. (Thread) — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) December 16, 2017 × We are in a “culture of outrage” because the magnitude of rage is, in fact, overtly outrageous. And it is righteous. — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) December 16, 2017 × I have been a victim of each component of the sexual assault spectrum of which you speak. They all hurt. And they are all connected to a patriarchy intertwined with normalized, accepted--even welcomed-- misogyny. — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) December 16, 2017 × We are not outraged because someone grabbed our asses in a picture. We are outraged because we were made to feel this was normal. We are outraged because we have been gaslighted. We are outraged because we were silenced for so long. — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) December 16, 2017 × There are different stages of cancer. Some more treatable than others. But it’s still cancer. — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) December 16, 2017 × Sexual harassment, misconduct, assault and violence is a systemic disease. The tumor is being cut out right now with no anesthesia. Please send flowers. #MeToo — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) December 16, 2017 × Damon's ex-girlfriend Minnie Driver also expressed her opinion on the same and also replied to several users addressing the subject. There are so many men I love who do NOT frame the differentiation between sexual misconduct assault and rape as an excuse or worse- our problem. Such bollocks.. — Minnie Driver (@driverminnie) December 15, 2017 × Gosh it’s so *interesting how men with all these opinions about women’s differentiation between sexual misconduct, assault and rape reveal themselves to be utterly tone deaf and as a result, systemically part of the problem( *profoundly unsurprising) — Minnie Driver (@driverminnie) December 15, 2017 × Look , weather you’re joking or not - women being worried about weather powerful men in my industry will still give them work if they speak up is part of the bloody problem. — Minnie Driver (@driverminnie) December 15, 2017 × Driver and Damon previously starred together in 1997’s Good Will Hunting and dated for a short time afterwards. Their relationship ended awkwardly in 1998 when Damon denied he had a girlfriend while appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, media reports said. Several other Twitter users also took to the micro-blogging site and voiced their thoughts. The problem with responses like the ones Tom Hanks & Matt Damon gave today is that men are taught their opinion is important even if it's about an issue they don't know much about, while women are taught to apologize for their opinions even when they're well versed in the topic. — Allison Gilbert (@AllisonWynifred) December 15, 2017 × Matt Damon in some sh* yet again ?? I never used to read bad things about him, what happened? Inquiring minds want to know. — VMnlop (@VMnlop) December 16, 2017 × @mattdamon_ Matt, I have a different way to explain the difference between sexual assault and inappropriate behavior as you tried to do. — bigbadwolf (@biggbadwolf) December 16, 2017 × Someone should tell Matt Damon it's OK to just not say stuff sometimes. As in, just sitting there quietly. That's alright. — Gráinne O'Christmas Tree Brien (@Gra_OBrien) December 16, 2017 × This is not the first time Damon has addressed sexual assault allegations. Speaking about the Weinstein scandal in October, he described the shamed Hollywood mogul as an "a**hole" and confirmed that he knew of Gwyneth Paltrow's accusations about Weinstein.

Matt Damon makes controversial comment on sexual misconduct. Twitter furious

<p>Hollywood star Matt Damon has revealed that he knew that media mogul Harvey Weinstein had sexually harassed Gwyneth Paltrow.</p>

<p>The 47-year-old star had initially dismissed reports that he knew about the disgraced producer&#39;s misconduct towards women when the scandal first broke out.</p>

<p>In an appearance on &quot;Good Morning America&quot;, Damon said that he learned Weinstein had abused Paltrow from his friend Ben Affleck, who was in a relationship with her.</p>

<p>&quot;I knew the story about Gwyneth from Ben, because he was with her after Brad, so I knew that story. But I was working with Gwyneth and Harvey on &#39;Ripley&#39;. I never talked to Gwyneth about it. Ben told me.</p>

<p>&quot;I knew that they had come to whatever agreement or understanding that they had come to. She had handled it and she was the first lady of Miramax. He treated her incredibly respectfully. Always,&quot; the actor said.</p>

<p>Damon, however, said that Weinstein&#39;s womanising nature was known to the industry.</p>

<p>&quot;When people say everybody knew, yeah, I knew he was an asshole. He was proud of that. That&#39;s how he carried himself. I knew he was a womaniser. I wouldn&#39;t want to be married to the guy, but that&#39;s not my business, really. But this level of criminal sexual predation is not something that I ever thought was going on. Absolutely not.&quot;</p>

<p>According to Damon, Weinstein was on his best behaviour around the actor. He, however, apologised for being unaware of the misconduct that women suffered at the producer&#39;s hands.</p>

<p>&quot;He didn&#39;t do it out in the open. If there was ever an event where there was something I was at with Harvey in public and he was doing this thing and I missed it, and there&#39;s some woman who was somehow assaulted and was at the Golden Globes or something and I somehow missed it, then I&#39;m sorry.&quot;</p>

<p>The actor, along with actor Russell Crowe, was under fire for killing 2004 expose by The New York Times on Weinstein&#39;s alleged history of sexual abuse, an allegation he denied.</p>

<p>Weinstein&#39;s previous company Miramax had produced Damon and Affleck&#39;s breakout film, &quot;Good Will Hunting&quot;.&nbsp;</p>


The 47-year-old star had initially dismissed reports that he knew about the disgraced producer's misconduct towards women

Hollywood star Matt Damon has revealed that he knew that media mogul Harvey Weinstein had sexually harassed Gwyneth Paltrow. The 47-year-old star had initially dismissed reports that he knew about the disgraced producer's misconduct towards women when the scandal first broke out. In an appearance on "Good Morning America", Damon said that he learned Weinstein had abused Paltrow from his friend Ben Affleck, who was in a relationship with her. "I knew the story about Gwyneth from Ben, because he was with her after Brad, so I knew that story. But I was working with Gwyneth and Harvey on 'Ripley'. I never talked to Gwyneth about it. Ben told me. "I knew that they had come to whatever agreement or understanding that they had come to. She had handled it and she was the first lady of Miramax. He treated her incredibly respectfully. Always," the actor said. Damon, however, said that Weinstein's womanising nature was known to the industry. "When people say everybody knew, yeah, I knew he was an asshole. He was proud of that. That's how he carried himself. I knew he was a womaniser. I wouldn't want to be married to the guy, but that's not my business, really. But this level of criminal sexual predation is not something that I ever thought was going on. Absolutely not." According to Damon, Weinstein was on his best behaviour around the actor. He, however, apologised for being unaware of the misconduct that women suffered at the producer's hands. "He didn't do it out in the open. If there was ever an event where there was something I was at with Harvey in public and he was doing this thing and I missed it, and there's some woman who was somehow assaulted and was at the Golden Globes or something and I somehow missed it, then I'm sorry." The actor, along with actor Russell Crowe, was under fire for killing 2004 expose by The New York Times on Weinstein's alleged history of sexual abuse, an allegation he denied. Weinstein's previous company Miramax had produced Damon and Affleck's breakout film, "Good Will Hunting".

Matt Damon says he knew Weinstein harassed Gwyneth Paltrow

<p>A year ago Israel offered Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and other Hollywood stars all-expenses paid luxury trips, but it seems they have chosen to miss their cues.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Campaigners are claiming victory as it appears none of the 26 Oscars stars offered a free personalised tour valued at up to $55,000 has visited.</p>

<p>The offer, part of gift bags given out by a marketing firm around the time of the 2016 Oscars each worth an estimated $200,000 and including other items such as ultra-expensive toilet paper, sparked a backlash.</p>

<p>Campaign groups accused Israel of trying to use the celebrities to gain positive coverage and downplay alleged abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories.</p>

<p>A few days ahead of the 2017 ceremony on February 26, it appears none of the nominees has visited themselves.</p>

<p>Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence did take up the offer but gave it to her parents, said the agency that came up with the idea.</p>

<p>&quot;This is a success,&quot; said Yousef Munayyer of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, which ran the campaign against the visits along with American organisation Jewish Voice for Peace.</p>

<p>&quot;I am very glad there&#39;s no evidence that people went. I think it is clear the objective of using the actors to whitewash Israel has failed.&quot;</p>

<p>Given several days notice, Israel&#39;s tourism ministry declined to comment or confirm which celebrities had taken up the offer.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Kick Back</strong></p>

<p>Ahead of the 2016 Oscars, in which DiCaprio scooped best actor for The Revenant, Israel&#39;s tourism ministry announced the nominees for the top five prizes as well as host Chris Rock would be offered individually tailored trips, including first-class flights and luxury hotels.</p>

<p>Israeli officials said they were seeking to show the real Israel at a time of conflict.</p>

<p>&quot;Every celebrity that is coming to visit us can put online a selfie somewhere and the value is huge,&quot; tourism ministry director general Amir Halevi told AFP at the time.</p>

<p>But US-based campaigners placed adverts in the Los Angeles Times and urged the actors to #skipthetrip on social media.</p>

<p>Campaigners then monitored traditional and social media to see if any of the celebrities made public trips.</p>

<p>&quot;So far we have not seen any,&quot; Munayyer said.</p>

<p>Sam Gee from exploreisrael.com agency that devised the idea said Lawrence gave the trip to her parents as a birthday gift and they have already visited.</p>

<p>Mark Rylance, winner of the Best Supporting Actor and a long-time critic of Israeli policies, confirmed to AFP he would not visit.</p>

<p>Jewish Voice for Peace spokeswoman Granate Sosnoff said it was part of a wider cultural boycott.</p>

<p>&quot;(Our campaign) brought tension, interrupted the normalcy of brand Israel and reminded Hollywood elites that there&#39;s a social cost of being associated with military occupation,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Left-wing shift</strong></p>

<p>Dan Rothem, a researcher on US-Israel relations, said Israel wanted to use celebrities &quot;as a way to break the impression there is some sort of isolation or boycott&quot;.</p>

<p>Musicians performing in Israel are often put under pressure to boycott from activists, with Pink Floyd&#39;s Roger Waters a major campaigner against such trips.</p>

<p>But in recent weeks a number of global bands, including Radiohead, who are known for social activism, have announced gigs in the country, leading left-wing newspaper Haaretz to ponder if boycott moves are failing.</p>

<p>Last week controversy erupted over American footballers visiting Israel, with only five of the 11 players from the NFL joining a trip after the Superbowl.</p>

<p>Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett said he would &quot;not be used&quot; by Israel, quoting reports the itinerary was being sculpted by the government for publicity.</p>

<p>&quot;When I do go to Israel -- and I do plan to go -- it will be to see not only Israel but also the West Bank and Gaza so I can see how the Palestinians, who have called this land home for thousands of years, live their lives,&quot; he said in a statement.</p>

<p>Academic Margaret Campbell, who has written about celebrity endorsements, said the biggest risks of backfire is &quot;that people end up with a worse idea of the brand (the country &#39;brand&#39; in this case) than before&quot;.</p>

<p>Chuck Norris visited Israel this month and met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.</p>

<p>Rothem said right-winger Norris&#39; visit would not break the &quot;right-left divide&quot;, but more traditionally left-wing Hollywood could help reverse a negative trend for Israel.</p>

<p>The percentage of Democrats who sympathise more with the Palestinians than with Israel has nearly doubled since 2014, research by the Pew Research Center found, and in 2016 was higher than the percentage favouring Israelis (40 per cent and 33 per cent respectively).</p>

<p>&quot;The left and the right in America no longer view Israel through the same prism,&quot; Rothem said.</p>

<p>(AFP)</p>


Campaigners are claiming victory as it appears none of the 26 Oscars stars offered a free tour valued at up to $55,000 has visited

A year ago Israel offered Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and other Hollywood stars all-expenses paid luxury trips, but it seems they have chosen to miss their cues. Campaigners are claiming victory as it appears none of the 26 Oscars stars offered a free personalised tour valued at up to $55,000 has visited. The offer, part of gift bags given out by a marketing firm around the time of the 2016 Oscars each worth an estimated $200,000 and including other items such as ultra-expensive toilet paper, sparked a backlash. Campaign groups accused Israel of trying to use the celebrities to gain positive coverage and downplay alleged abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories. A few days ahead of the 2017 ceremony on February 26, it appears none of the nominees has visited themselves. Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence did take up the offer but gave it to her parents, said the agency that came up with the idea. "This is a success," said Yousef Munayyer of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, which ran the campaign against the visits along with American organisation Jewish Voice for Peace. "I am very glad there's no evidence that people went. I think it is clear the objective of using the actors to whitewash Israel has failed." Given several days notice, Israel's tourism ministry declined to comment or confirm which celebrities had taken up the offer. Kick Back Ahead of the 2016 Oscars, in which DiCaprio scooped best actor for The Revenant, Israel's tourism ministry announced the nominees for the top five prizes as well as host Chris Rock would be offered individually tailored trips, including first-class flights and luxury hotels. Israeli officials said they were seeking to show the real Israel at a time of conflict. "Every celebrity that is coming to visit us can put online a selfie somewhere and the value is huge," tourism ministry director general Amir Halevi told AFP at the time. But US-based campaigners placed adverts in the Los Angeles Times and urged the actors to #skipthetrip on social media. Campaigners then monitored traditional and social media to see if any of the celebrities made public trips. "So far we have not seen any," Munayyer said. Sam Gee from exploreisrael.com agency that devised the idea said Lawrence gave the trip to her parents as a birthday gift and they have already visited. Mark Rylance, winner of the Best Supporting Actor and a long-time critic of Israeli policies, confirmed to AFP he would not visit. Jewish Voice for Peace spokeswoman Granate Sosnoff said it was part of a wider cultural boycott. "(Our campaign) brought tension, interrupted the normalcy of brand Israel and reminded Hollywood elites that there's a social cost of being associated with military occupation," she said. Left-wing shift Dan Rothem, a researcher on US-Israel relations, said Israel wanted to use celebrities "as a way to break the impression there is some sort of isolation or boycott". Musicians performing in Israel are often put under pressure to boycott from activists, with Pink Floyd's Roger Waters a major campaigner against such trips. But in recent weeks a number of global bands, including Radiohead, who are known for social activism, have announced gigs in the country, leading left-wing newspaper Haaretz to ponder if boycott moves are failing. Last week controversy erupted over American footballers visiting Israel, with only five of the 11 players from the NFL joining a trip after the Superbowl. Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett said he would "not be used" by Israel, quoting reports the itinerary was being sculpted by the government for publicity. "When I do go to Israel -- and I do plan to go -- it will be to see not only Israel but also the West Bank and Gaza so I can see how the Palestinians, who have called this land home for thousands of years, live their lives," he said in a statement. Academic Margaret Campbell, who has written about celebrity endorsements, said the biggest risks of backfire is "that people end up with a worse idea of the brand (the country 'brand' in this case) than before". Chuck Norris visited Israel this month and met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Rothem said right-winger Norris' visit would not break the "right-left divide", but more traditionally left-wing Hollywood could help reverse a negative trend for Israel. The percentage of Democrats who sympathise more with the Palestinians than with Israel has nearly doubled since 2014, research by the Pew Research Center found, and in 2016 was higher than the percentage favouring Israelis (40 per cent and 33 per cent respectively). "The left and the right in America no longer view Israel through the same prism," Rothem said. (AFP)

Hollywood celebrities snub Israel's free personalised trip offer

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Hollywood celebrities snub Israel's free personalised trip offer