Former Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson is easily one of the biggest Avatar fans on the planet. The self-proclaimed “spiritual thought leader” has been a long-time champion of the film and has gone so far as to say director James Cameron deserves a Nobel Prize for the film. While Williamson has repeatedly championed the film’s environmental and spiritual message, and even once tweeted “If you want a simple explanation for what’s happening in America, watch ‘Avatar’ again,” she took her obsession with the sci-fi film to a whole new level during a two hour interview with Cameron on a special episode of The Marianne Williamson Podcast.
During the lengthy conversation delving into Avatar‘s themes of “spiritualism, capitalism and imperialism, colonialization, human rights abuses,” Williamson claimed that she cited the film while visiting the Middle East, and her words had a profound effect on her audience of… Israeli and Palestinian peacemakers. Yup:
MARIANNE WILLIAMSON: I was in Israel and I was talking to some Israeli Palestinian peacemakers. And I said, and I’m telling you the truth, I said, “Well, you know, the Great Mother doesn’t choose sides. According to Avatar, the Great Mother doesn’t choose sides. She’s there to protect the balance.”
JAMES CAMERON: Yes.
WILLIAMSON: She doesn’t pick a winner. She protects balance. And do you know the Israeli and the Palestinian in the room, do you know their reaction?
CAMERON: What’d they say?
WILLIAMSON: (mimes nodding her head in thought)
CAMERON: They thought about it. That’s good.
WILLIAMSON: They nodded. And I think it was because some of them had seen Avatar.
this is so powerful pic.twitter.com/OEv5Y8qYnk
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(@samthielman) March 30, 2021
Despite the episode being two weeks old, the clip of Williamson citing Avatar to broker Middle East peace talks only recently went viral, which prompted her to respond on Twitter on Tuesday night. While calling her detractors “pseudo-intellectuals” who are “having a hoot,” Williamson defended referencing the film in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Our political establishment has not solved the problem, and it will not be solved on the level of the green line or traditional diplomacy or military action. It will only be solved on the level of the heart,” Williamson tweeted. “I do not apologize for telling that story. It’s not ridiculous; it’s important.”
You can see the full thread below:
1/ I’m trending tonight because people are mocking a clip of my conversation with Jim Cameron where I told him about a conversation I had with some peace activists in the Middle East. There’s a line in Avatar about how the Mother does not take sides, just wants to restore balance
— Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) March 31, 2021
3/ It’s much like when I said the PM of New Zealand would be my first call as president. “Oh she’s so stupid.” Like when I said we should pay reparations, or see our healthcare system as a sickness care system, or realize the scourge of environmental injustice. Such a silly girl!
— Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) March 31, 2021
5/ There are people there who know this, who live ever day w/ pain & fear beyond what any of us can imagine. Sincere Muslims, Christians & Jews who do not laugh at the thought that they need a miracle. I do not apologize for telling that story. It’s not ridiculous; it’s important
— Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) March 31, 2021
(Via Sam Thielman on Twitter)