Natalie's sexy scene upsets wall worshippers

Dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jewish worshippers angrily confronted actress Natalie Portman and her Israeli co-star, objecting to scenes of the couple kissing during the filming of a movie scene beside Jerusalem’s Western Wall, police said.

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.

It is controlled by strictly observant Jews and male and female worshippers are separated by a barrier perpendicular to the wall, following Orthodox Jewish rules forbidding casual contact between the sexes.

Portman, 23, starred in the recently released film Closer and has appeared in numerous Star Wars episodes.

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 daily newspaper Yediot Ahronot said ultra-Orthodox Jews charged the actors, shouting ”Immoral, immoral”.

Police said they asked the actors to leave and return later, which they agreed.

The rabbi in charge of the site, Shmuel Rabinovitch, said that codes of conduct under religious and state law prohibited acting or romantic interaction near the wall.

”That code was not followed,” he said.

Israeli-born Portman has been studying at Hebrew University in Jerusalem in recent months.