Gal Gadot is known for having played the titular role in the DC blockbuster Wonder Woman and its sequel Wonder Woman 1984. Now, however, Gadot is facing backlash over alleged examples of Islamophobia.
As noted via Newsweek, Gadot “helped arrange” a screening for “the 43-minute Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) documentary Bearing Witness, which features graphic footage from the October 7 surprise attack,” and that it “resulted in a mass brawl between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protestors outside Los Angeles’ Museum of Tolerance on Wednesday night.” It’s been said that Gadot was not present at the event.
The publication continues to note that “Gadot, who plays the title character in the Wonder Woman film series, was called out on social media over the Bearing Witness controversy and for alleged ‘anti-Arab’ content in the 2020 Wonder Woman sequel.” One example is said to be a “minor subplot of the film” which “involves an Arabic character demanding that ‘heathens’ be expelled from his ancestral homeland.”
Another scene from the film which is drawing controversy “shows her character using a missile to save Arab children by propelling herself towards them with the weapon just before they were about to be hit by a vehicle.” The scene was mentioned in the below tweet where @tha_rami on X shared the following:
In case anybody wondered, yes, Gal Gadot just straight-up screened a military’s propaganda video in support of an ongoing genocide to influencers.
Not that that’s surprising. Remember the “use missiles to save Arab kids” scene in WW84? She’s been a violence-apologist forever. https://t.co/S05zgUcq3C
— Rami Ismail / رامي (@tha_rami) November 9, 2023
Some of the response accuse Gal Gadot of having helped to create “Zionist propaganda” with Wonder Woman 1984:
She already helped make Zionist propaganda, it’s called Wonder Woman 1984 https://t.co/iironZDNxm
— Jalen Milroe QB Draw 🇵🇸 (@HazeRedux) November 8, 2023
“Criticism over the Israeli military’s response to the Hamas attack has recently been ramping up as the death toll in Gaza grows,” Newsweek adds. “While some progressive lawmakers and many Pro-Palestinian activists have been calling for a ceasefire, Israel has rejected the calls.”
Gadot is far from the only celebrity to face such backlash for her thoughts on the matter. Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp has faced similar examples of backlash. As such, we’ll have to see how this situation continues to develop.