link Jewish actor Dustin Hoffman halted arrangements to attend the Jerusalem Film Festival in the wake of the Gaza flotilla clash, one of the organisers has claimed.
Meg Ryan has also pulled out of the event, which begins in Jerusalem on July 8 and is expected to attract more than 70,000 people.
The associate director of the Cinematheque, the location of the annual festival, told the Jerusalem Post he had been “very close to reaching an agreement” for Mr Hoffman to appear at the event.
Yigal Molad Hayo said: “Then the flotilla happened and correspondence was ended.”
He said arrangements for the When Harry Met Sally star to visit the city had “all been closed with her people,” when the flotilla raid happened in May.
Mr Molad Hayo said: “A day after we got an email saying she was not going to attend.
“Although they claimed it was because she was too busy, it was clear to me that it probably had something to do with what had happened.”
He said it was sad that “many people are swayed by the political situation.”
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