In 2016, 26 Oscar-nominated celebrities where offered gift bags with 10-day trips to Israel funded by the Israeli government. Among the actors and actresses offered the gift bags were Leonardo DiCaprio, Sylvester Stallone, Mark Rylance, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, Matt Damon, and Kate Winslet. The Israeli Tourism Minister said that the celebrities were "leading opinion-formers who we are interested in hosting" who would get the chance to "experience the country first-hand".[23][24] According to media reports, the trip's value was about $55,000 each but Israeli officials said that it was only about $15,000 to $18,000.[23] Pro-Palestinian activists urged the celebrities to refuse to take the gift bags.[24] According to Catherine Rottenberg, not a single celebrity took advantage of the free trips.[25]