The Golbary fashion house came under fire Monday after prize-winning actress Ayelet Zurer claimed she was dismissed as its chief presenter over her "deteriorating looks." The 46-year-old Zurer, who was the face of the fashion house for 11 seasons, told the Israeli media that she was suing Golbary for breach of contract and was asking for NIS 460,000 ($116,000) in damages. Zurer has had a successful career in Hollywood, appearing in Steven Spielberg's Oscar-nominated film "Munich," as well as other major productions, and co-starring with Tom Hanks in "Angels and Demons." According to Zurer's lawyers, Golbary asked Zurer to travel from Los Angeles to Israel for a photo shoot scheduled for later this month. Zurer asked that it be postponed to March because of a medical procedure she had to undergo and due to her casting in "Ben-Hur," a historical feature film set to be released later this year. Zurer says Golbary initially agreed to accommodate her request, but later, after she had recovered from the procedure, the company informed her agent, Boaz Ben-Zion, that her services were no longer needed, claiming her "looks" had deteriorated. According to Zurer, Golbary tapped 25-year-old Israeli supermodel Esti Ginzburg-Keizman as her replacement in an effort to appeal to a younger audience as it prepared to showcase its spring/summer collection later this year. Ben-Zion and Rafi Shefter Law Office issued a joint statement on Monday, saying: "We are suing over breach of contract, not over the fact that a presenter was replaced, which is an acceptable and legitimate practice in the fashion industry. Unfortunately, Golbary decided to besmirch and hurt Ayelet Zurer rather than pay her what she is rightfully owed for her work, as per the contract they signed, which is in effect for another 18 months. We must ask ourselves, 'Who is the ugly one in this case-'" The fashion house's head, Moshe Golbary, who is currently in Paris, declined to comment. The fashion house issued the following statement: "We will respond in court." The Zurer-Golbary affair has sparked quite a controversy among Israeli commentators and politicians on Monday. MK Shelly Yachimovich (Zionist Union) condemned Golbary. "It is not that Zurer has suddenly become ugly, it is just that she has turned 46, and this, plain and simple, rubs 54-year-old Golbary CEO Moshe Golbary the wrong way," Yachimovich said. Pnina Rosenblum, a 61-year-old former supermodel who heads a successful cosmetics company, had a different take. "Zurer should not take this so hard. She looks great and there are many great things she could do," Rosenblum said. "I think it is perfectly acceptable for a company to replace a presenter who has marketed the brand for 11 seasons, whatever the reason. This is 100% legitimate." Israeli fashion designer Yuval Caspi said the "clothes Golbary offers are very appealing, but they are by no means appropriate for women in their 20s," he said. "Zurer looks great and I believe everybody was satisfied with how she presented the brand's clothes." He said Zurer's replacement would fall short of what Zurer accomplished. "Young models, however good looking, will not be able to match Zurer's qualities -- sophistication and maturity -- and will lack the experience that comes with age," he said. "Simply speaking, I believe the packaging should match the content."
