Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who is visiting Tanzania on Tuesday as part of a trip to African countries, criticized actress Natalie Portman, who refused to visit Israel to receive the Genesis Prize.
"For Natalie Portman'a attention: I visited a hospital in Tanzania today, where some of the doctors who received training in Israel at Wolfson Hospital, led by the 'Save a Child's Heart' foundation," Shaked said.
"Israel is treating Palestinian children, children from Africa, Jordan, Egypt and training doctors from Africa who are returning to their country and saving lives," she said.
Last week, Portman caused an uproar by announcing that she would refuse to visit Israel to collect the Genesis Prize in June. After the unsuing controversy, Portman clarified that she does not support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS) against Israel, but said that she "did not want to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony."
The Genesis Prize is a million dollar prize given by the Prime Minister of Israel to "a highly accomplished and internationally recognized professional who is an exemplary figure in his community and can inspire the younger generation of the Jewish people worldwide."
Portman, who was born in Israel, was due to arrive in Israel this June and receive the prize from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.