Portman's film kiss at Jerusalem's Western Wall provokes rage of Orthodox Jews

Dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jewish worshippers have angrily confronted actress Natalie Portman and Israeli actor Aki Avni, objecting to scenes of the couple kissing during the filming of a movie scene beside Jerusalem's Western Wall.  The incident on Tuesday evening underlined the sensitivity of the site, a remnant of the biblical Jewish temples, the holiest place where Jews can pray. Following Orthodox Jewish rules, casual contact between the sexes is forbidden on that site. Portman, 23, starred in the recently released film Closer and three Star Wars films. Police said they had to step in when worshippers spotted her and Israeli actor Aki Avni embracing and kissing as part of a scene in their film, Free Zone. The newspaper "Yediot Ahronot" said ultra-Orthodox Jews charged the actors, shouting "immoral, immoral".