‘Wonder Woman’ star Gal Gadot gets backlash for statement on Israel-Palestine violence

“Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot, who was born in Israel and served a mandatory two years as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, released a statement on the recent violence between Israel and Palestine that drew backlash from fans.

“My heart breaks. My country is at war,” Gadot posted in a statement on Twitter on Wednesday. “I worry for my family, my friends. I worry for my people. This is a vicious cycle that has been going on for far too long. Israel deserves to live as a free and safe nation. Our neighbors deserve the same. I pray for the victims and their families, I pray for this unimaginable hostility to end, I pray for our leaders to find the solution so we could live side by side in peace. I pray for better days.”

Gadot’s statement immediately became a hotly debated topic on Twitter, where people called out her use of the word “neighbors” instead of referencing Palestine by name and her support of Israel during the country’s violent attacks on Palestine. Some Twitter users began criticizing her role as Wonder Woman, which landed a third film with director Patty Jenkins in late 2020 after the release of “Wonder Woman 1984.”

Gadot’s history with the Israel Defense Forces has stirred up controversy in the past, considering her A-list Hollywood status as the lead of Warner Bros. and DC Comics’ “Wonder Woman” franchise and one of the co-stars in “Justice League.” In 2017, Lebanon’s Ministry of Economy banned the release of “Wonder Woman” over Gadot’s involvement and the country’s war with Israel.

Gal Gadot attends the premiere of “I Am the Night” on Jan. 24, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Richard Shotwell/Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

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Representatives for Gadot and Warner Bros. did not immediately return Variety’s requests for comment.

Violence between Israel and Palestine escalated this week after Israel launched several airstrikes on Palestine’s Gaza Strip, and waves of rockets were fired from Gaza at Israeli capital Tel Aviv, the city of Ashkelon and the country’s main airport. Tensions between Israel and Palestine have escalated recently over the eviction of Palestinians from East Jerusalem.

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