[The Telegraph] Two US groups take out full-page newspaper advert denouncing junket being offered in nominees' gift bag at this year's award ceremony.The bitterness of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict threatened to mar this year’s Oscars on Wednesday after nominees were urged to reject a £40,000 trip to Israel offered in a gift bag to be handed out at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony.
The free trips - part-funded by the Israeli government - were propelled to centre-stage after the US Campaign to End Israeli Occupation and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) sponsored a full-page advert in the Los Angeles Times headlined "Free Trip to Israel at the expense of Palestinians". The advert declared: "#SkipTheTrip. endorse Israeli apartheid."