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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How actress Gal Gadot became a lightning rod for anti-Israel hate
Hollywood actress Gal Gadot is currently dashing around the streets of London while filming her new movie The Runner. But the surrounding Metropolitan Police presence isn't part of this fictional action thriller: officers have been deployed to the set in response to demonstrators targeting Gadot due to her Israeli nationality. It's the latest incident in a concerted and increasingly vehement campaign. The prominent Wonder Woman star has become a lightning rod for anti-Israeli sentiment since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack in 2023 and subsequent military escalation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Five people were arrested near Gadot's film set in Westminster on Wednesday. According to a Metropolitan Police statement, in recent weeks 'protestors have disrupted filming at various locations across London. They have done so solely because an actress involved in the production is Israeli.' The protestors were arrested for harassment and for wrongfully and unlawfully obstructing access to a workplace. Just a few days earlier, last Sunday morning, keffiyeh-wearing activists also gathered on Waterloo Bridge where Gadot was filming. They banged metal saucepan lids, blared sirens and shouted chants through megaphones like 'Gal Gadot, you can't hide'. The protestors also displayed Palestinian flags and signs with slogans such as, 'Trash Gadot not welcome in London!', and a large red banner with the message 'Stop starving Gaza'. Officers from Scotland Yard were called to the scene and moved the protestors away, although no arrests were made. The aggressive targeting of Gadot, 40, isn't confined to London, either. Earlier this week her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles was defaced, with vandals writing 'Baby killer' in black pen and changing her surname from Gadot to 'Greestien' – the latter a misspelling of her Jewish family's original name Greenstein, which was changed before Gadot was born. The vandals also added a sticker reading 'Israeli snipers target children'. The Campaign Against Antisemitism denounced the defacement in a statement, saying: 'Medieval antisemitic tropes like the blood libel [a false accusation of ritualised murder] are alive and well. Parts of humanity really haven't progressed at all.' Gadot, who has not commented publicly on the protests, has previously spoken of her immense pride at receiving her star on the Walk of Fame. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in March, she said: 'I'm just a girl from a town in Israel. This star will remind me that with hard work and passion and some faith, anything is possible.' But as pro-Palestinian protestors continue to target the very visible Gadot, is her Hollywood dream turning into a nightmare? Disney's dismal live-action version of Snow White, released in March, might have been a box office bomb anyway, but the surrounding political firestorm certainly didn't help its chances. In the PR circus in the run-up to the film's release, all of the focus was on the opposing views of its two stars and their reported rift. Rachel Zegler, playing the titular princess, drew criticism after she posted the movie's trailer online with the comment 'And always remember, free Palestine' – as did Gadot, for her support of Israel. Gadot was born in Petah Tikva to Jewish parents of European descent. Her mother, Irit, is the daughter of Holocaust survivors and, at the age of 11, Gadot was taken to visit Holocaust sites in Poland. Many of the activists now seeking to cancel the actress call her a 'soldier', citing her time in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). However, Gadot didn't choose to become a soldier: service in the IDF is compulsory. She was conscripted into the army aged 20, and spent much of her mandatory two years of service working as a combat trainer, teaching fitness. She also learned martial arts techniques such as Krav Maga. Speaking to Canadian magazine Fashion in 2016, Gadot said: 'There is something special in giving back to your community.' When the statuesque Gadot burst onto cinema screens as the new Wonder Woman in 2017, both reviewers and fans admired that military-honed strength and athleticism. The fact that she is a real-life ass-kicking woman with muscular limbs lent authenticity to this empowering female superhero. How times have changed: now that same history is held against her. Conversely, Gadot has also been criticised by her countrymen for her relatively measured statements. In 2019, responding to president Benjamin Netanyahu's assertion that Israel is 'not a state of all its citizens', Gadot wrote a now-deleted post on Instagram striking a very different tone. 'Love thy neighbor,' she said. 'It is not a matter of right or left, Arabs or Jews, secular or religious. It is a matter of […] dialogue for peace, and of our tolerance for each other.' In 2021, during the Israel-Palestine crisis, Netanyahu's son Yair unfavourably compared Gadot's public statements with what he termed the 'antisemitic propaganda' coming from models Gigi and Bella Hadid, who are of Palestinian descent. Yair complained on Twitter that the only comparable high-profile Israeli celebrity, Gadot, had chosen to 'write a neutral post [on Instagram] as if she was from Switzerland'. But Gadot has been more vocal and more partisan since the horrific terrorist attack on her home country in October 2023. She posted the names of the 80 Israeli hostages on her social media along with hashtags like #BringThemBack and #ReleaseTheHostages. Speaking to Variety in March, she explained: 'When people were abducted from their homes, from their beds, men, women, children, elderly, Holocaust survivors […] I could not be silent. I was shocked by the amount of hate.' She concluded: 'I had to speak up.' Yet Gadot, who is a mother of four, added a clarification: 'I am praying for better days for all. I want everybody to have good life and prosperity, and the ability to raise their children in a safe environment.' That month she also made an impassioned speech at the Anti-Defamation League's Never Is Now event. 'None of us can ignore the explosion of Jew-hatred around the world any more,' said Gadot. 'My name is Gal, and I'm Jewish, and we have had enough of Jew-hatred.' Gadot, a vocal feminist, specifically addressed the horrific treatment of female Israelis attacked by Hamas, saying: 'On October 7, Jewish women were sexually terrorised, raped, murdered and kidnapped by Hamas.' She continued: 'We were all hoping to hear support from our sisters around the world and too often heard silence.' She backed Israel's entrant in the Eurovision Song Contest, Yuval Raphael, too, who was also the target of vociferous protestors, including an attempt by two people to scupper her performance by rushing the stage. The protests came despite the fact that Raphael sustained shrapnel injuries during the Nova festival massacre. In a video call ahead of the final, Gadot told Raphael (who would go on to storm into second place overall after winning the public vote): 'You've already won – now it's just about enjoying it.' But regardless of how, and how much, Gadot publicly engages with the complex and emotional issues surrounding Gaza, she is doing so as a private citizen – not a member of the Israeli government or military. She might be in London filming a glamorous movie for a six-figure salary, rather than trudging into an office, but she is still doing her job, as are her cast mates and crew. Does her A-lister fame mean she is fair game for protestors to interrupt her at work? Perhaps the bigger worry for the 40-year-old actress and mum is whether this could tank her career – either through boycotts of her movies, or the costs and headaches for studios of protecting her. Disney reportedly had to beef up security for Gadot after she received death threats during that ill-fated Snow White press tour. Not exactly a Hollywood happily ever after. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. 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Telegraph
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
How actress Gal Gadot became a lightning rod for anti-Israel hate
Hollywood actress Gal Gadot is currently dashing around the streets of London while filming her new movie The Runner. But the surrounding Metropolitan Police presence isn't part of this fictional action thriller: officers have been deployed to the set in response to demonstrators targeting Gadot due to her Israeli nationality. It's the latest incident in a concerted and increasingly vehement campaign. The prominent Wonder Woman star has become a lightning rod for anti-Israeli sentiment since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack in 2023 and subsequent military escalation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Five people were arrested near Gadot's film set in Westminster on Wednesday. According to a Metropolitan Police statement, in recent weeks 'protestors have disrupted filming at various locations across London. They have done so solely because an actress involved in the production is Israeli.' The protestors were arrested for harassment and for wrongfully and unlawfully obstructing access to a workplace. Just a few days earlier, last Sunday morning, keffiyeh-wearing activists also gathered on Waterloo Bridge where Gadot was filming. They banged metal saucepan lids, blared sirens and shouted chants through megaphones like 'Gal Gadot, you can't hide'. The protestors also displayed Palestinian flags and signs with slogans such as, 'Trash Gadot not welcome in London!', and a large red banner with the message 'Stop starving Gaza'. Officers from Scotland Yard were called to the scene and moved the protestors away, although no arrests were made. The aggressive targeting of Gadot, 40, isn't confined to London, either. Earlier this week her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles was defaced, with vandals writing 'Baby killer' in black pen and changing her surname from Gadot to 'Greestien' – the latter a misspelling of her Jewish family's original name Greenstein, which was changed before Gadot was born. The vandals also added a sticker reading 'Israeli snipers target children'. The Campaign Against Antisemitism denounced the defacement in a statement, saying: 'Medieval antisemitic tropes like the blood libel [a false accusation of ritualised murder] are alive and well. Parts of humanity really haven't progressed at all.' Gadot, who has not commented publicly on the protests, has previously spoken of her immense pride at receiving her star on the Walk of Fame. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in March, she said: 'I'm just a girl from a town in Israel. This star will remind me that with hard work and passion and some faith, anything is possible.' But as pro-Palestinian protestors continue to target the very visible Gadot, is her Hollywood dream turning into a nightmare? Disney's dismal live-action version of Snow White, released in March, might have been a box office bomb anyway, but the surrounding political firestorm certainly didn't help its chances. In the PR circus in the run-up to the film's release, all of the focus was on the opposing views of its two stars and their reported rift. Rachel Zegler, playing the titular princess, drew criticism after she posted the movie's trailer online with the comment 'And always remember, free Palestine' – as did Gadot, for her support of Israel. Gadot was born in Petah Tikva to Jewish parents of European descent. Her mother, Irit, is the daughter of Holocaust survivors and, at the age of 11, Gadot was taken to visit Holocaust sites in Poland. Many of the activists now seeking to cancel the actress call her a 'soldier', citing her time in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). However, Gadot didn't choose to become a soldier: service in the IDF is compulsory. She was conscripted into the army aged 20, and spent much of her mandatory two years of service working as a combat trainer, teaching fitness. She also learned martial arts techniques such as Krav Maga. Speaking to Canadian magazine Fashion in 2016, Gadot said: 'There is something special in giving back to your community.' When the statuesque Gadot burst onto cinema screens as the new Wonder Woman in 2017, both reviewers and fans admired that military-honed strength and athleticism. The fact that she is a real-life ass-kicking woman with muscular limbs lent authenticity to this empowering female superhero. How times have changed: now that same history is held against her. Conversely, Gadot has also been criticised by her countrymen for her relatively measured statements. In 2019, responding to president Benjamin Netanyahu 's assertion that Israel is 'not a state of all its citizens', Gadot wrote a now-deleted post on Instagram striking a very different tone. 'Love thy neighbor,' she said. 'It is not a matter of right or left, Arabs or Jews, secular or religious. It is a matter of […] dialogue for peace, and of our tolerance for each other.' In 2021, during the Israel-Palestine crisis, Netanyahu's son Yair unfavourably compared Gadot's public statements with what he termed the 'antisemitic propaganda' coming from models Gigi and Bella Hadid, who are of Palestinian descent. Yair complained on Twitter that the only comparable high-profile Israeli celebrity, Gadot, had chosen to 'write a neutral post [on Instagram] as if she was from Switzerland'. But Gadot has been more vocal and more partisan since the horrific terrorist attack on her home country in October 2023. She posted the names of the 80 Israeli hostages on her social media along with hashtags like #BringThemBack and #ReleaseTheHostages. Speaking to Variety in March, she explained: 'When people were abducted from their homes, from their beds, men, women, children, elderly, Holocaust survivors […] I could not be silent. I was shocked by the amount of hate.' She concluded: 'I had to speak up.' Yet Gadot, who is a mother of four, added a clarification: 'I am praying for better days for all. I want everybody to have good life and prosperity, and the ability to raise their children in a safe environment.' That month she also made an impassioned speech at the Anti-Defamation League's Never Is Now event. 'None of us can ignore the explosion of Jew-hatred around the world any more,' said Gadot. 'My name is Gal, and I'm Jewish, and we have had enough of Jew-hatred.' Gadot, a vocal feminist, specifically addressed the horrific treatment of female Israelis attacked by Hamas, saying: 'On October 7, Jewish women were sexually terrorised, raped, murdered and kidnapped by Hamas.' She continued: 'We were all hoping to hear support from our sisters around the world and too often heard silence.' She backed Israel's entrant in the Eurovision Song Contest, Yuval Raphael, too, who was also the target of vociferous protestors, including an attempt by two people to scupper her performance by rushing the stage. The protests came despite the fact that Raphael sustained shrapnel injuries during the Nova festival massacre. In a video call ahead of the final, Gadot told Raphael (who would go on to storm into second place overall after winning the public vote): 'You've already won – now it's just about enjoying it.' But regardless of how, and how much, Gadot publicly engages with the complex and emotional issues surrounding Gaza, she is doing so as a private citizen – not a member of the Israeli government or military. She might be in London filming a glamorous movie for a six-figure salary, rather than trudging into an office, but she is still doing her job, as are her cast mates and crew. Does her A-lister fame mean she is fair game for protestors to interrupt her at work? Perhaps the bigger worry for the 40-year-old actress and mum is whether this could tank her career – either through boycotts of her movies, or the costs and headaches for studios of protecting her. Disney reportedly had to beef up security for Gadot after she received death threats during that ill-fated Snow White press tour. Not exactly a Hollywood happily ever after.
Sky News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Comedian facing case brought by antisemitism charity over 'messages he sent to woman'
US comedian Reginald D Hunter is being privately prosecuted by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) over posts he sent to a woman, a court heard. The 56-year-old stand-up is accused of three counts of sending an offensive communication to Heidi Bachram on X on 24 August, 10 September and 11 September last year. He was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday but Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram issued a warrant for him to attend court on 7 July in his absence. Prosecutor Donal Lawler told the court that Hunter is a "well-known comedian" who is being privately prosecuted by the charity. It is alleged Hunter sent a computer-generated sexual image to Ms Bachram in August last year, with the charges claiming it was "grossly offensive". It's alleged that he then sent two antisemitic messages in the following days. Mr Lawler told the court on Friday that the comedian was due to begin a tour of England and Wales tomorrow. The prosecutor said Hunter was scheduled to do a gig in London on 6 July, adding that his legal team may be able to serve him his court summons in person at the venue on that date. The CAA describes itself as an organisation of volunteers which works to "expose and counter antisemitism through education and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law". Stephen Silverman, the group's director of investigations and enforcement, said: "This is one of a number of private prosecutions that we are bringing, and there will be more to say on the case in due course."
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Child victims of Gaza onslaught remembered in Westminster vigil
The names of thousands of innocent children, killed in Gaza, have been read out by dozens of artists and supporters in a vigil outside the Palace of Westminster. Actors including Steve Coogan and Juliet Stevenson stood in the shadow of the Elizabeth Tower to help read out the names of more than 16,000 children as part of the Choose Love-organised campaign to 'honour' those killed in the last 19 months. Later, they described what is happening as a genocide and said that people should stand up and protest if they do not agree with what the UK Government is doing to try and stop it. Coogan said he was took part to 'highlight the plight of starving children in Gaza who are having their aid blocked'. He said: 'I am here to bring attention to that, and not only that, but the lives of all the children who have been lost in this conflict, in this bombing which has been largely indiscriminate bombing. 'It is to shine light on the fact that these were real people, real children and they should be remembered. 'We are reading out the names to remember them as human beings and not just a statistic. 'I don't know these children of course, but when you read the name, you realise they were someone who had a life, albeit a short one and had nothing to do with the conflict. 'They were the innocent victims of the conflict, and that the vast majority of the families had nothing to do with this conflict, even where their families did, it doesn't justify that kind of response.' He described what is happening as 'not only immoral, it's illegal under international law, and lots of mainstream news outlets would rather this went away and would rather ignore it'. Up to 16,000 names, of children under 18 who are confirmed dead were read and up to 20,000 children are also reported as missing, the organisers said. The readers stood in front of a banner which read: 'Gaza: Actions Not Words'. It was made up of the names of 1,700 babies, who are one year old or younger, who who have been confirmed as dead. Each speaker, including actors Toby Jones, Emily Watson, Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa and Andrea Riseborough plus presenters Dawn O'Porter and Nadia Sawalha, read out approximately 300 names. Coogan also said it is 'appalling' the press have not been allowed into the war zone for 18 months to report on what is happening, saying 'if they had nothing to hide, they would let the press in. On Thursday Stevenson said: 'It is every child who name we know but, of course, there are so many children whose names we don't know who are buried under the rubble. 'Every child whose name is known is being read because they are not numbers. 'Each child that has been killed, had a name, a family, had passions, had loves and fears as do all our children. 'There is no difference and they now have had their lives taken away. 'It is a genocide and I have just been horrified by what has been going on.' The organisers are calling for a halt to arms sales and export licences to Israel, full humanitarian access to Gaza and a commitment to an immediate and lasting ceasefire 'to end the starvation and slaughter of children'. Khalid Abdalla, who played Dodi Fayed in The Crown, described the vigil as 'a very moving tribute to the number of children who have been killed, there's an ongoing genocide'. He added: 'It's heartbreaking that each of these children only gets to have their names for them as you read the names you have just about touched on the world of who they might have been. 'I was reading for half an hour almost, and all the children's names that I read out were five years old. 'I was hoping I would get to a change in number. 'There was no change in number. 'The point is thousands upon thousands of children have died and we don't even know the final number because it is ongoing.' The vigil comes after more than 300 actors, musicians, activists and others used an open letter to call on the Prime Minister to 'take immediate action to end the UK's complicity in the horrors of Gaza'. As well as suspending UK arms sales to Israel, the group urged Sir Keir to 'use all available means' to ensure humanitarian aid gets into the territory and 'make a commitment to the children of Gaza' that he would broker an 'immediate and permanent ceasefire'. Signatories included Gary Lineker, who left his role presenting Match Of The Day earlier this month following a controversy over one of his social media posts about the conflict in Gaza, actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Brian Cox, along with Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlin, singers Paloma Faith and Annie Lennox, plus Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos. A Government spokesman previously said: 'We strongly oppose the expansion of military operations in Gaza and call on the Israeli Government to cease its offensive and immediately allow for unfettered access to humanitarian aid. 'The denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Gaza is unacceptable and risks breaching International Humanitarian Law. 'Last year, we suspended export licences to Israel for items used in military operations in Gaza and continue to refuse licences for military goods that could be used by Israel in the current conflict. 'We urge all parties to urgently agree a ceasefire agreement and work towards a permanent and sustainable peace.'
The Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Comedian Reginald D Hunter faces private prosecution over social media posts
Comedian Reginald D Hunter is being prosecuted over alleged antisemitic social media posts, a court heard. The 56-year-old US stand-up is accused of three counts of sending an offensive communication on three different occasions – on August 24, September 10 and September 11 last year – to Heidi Bachram on X, formerly Twitter. He was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday but Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram issued a warrant for him to attend court on July 7 in his absence. Prosecutor Donal Lawler told the court that Hunter is a 'well-known comedian' who is being privately prosecuted by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) charity. It is alleged Hunter sent a computer-generated sexual image to Ms Bachram in August last year, with the charges claiming it was 'grossly offensive'. On September 10 he is said to have tweeted Ms Bachram saying: 'THIS is why I HATE these people and am committed to their destruction not because JEW hatred Not even because they are European Nazis pretending to be JEWS Because of all the lying. Mama HATED liars and bequeathed that hatred to ALL of her children.' The following day, it is alleged he sent another message saying: 'Hey sugar. I don't hate you for being an agent of evil. Not new Not even uncommon. You being a liar a persistent liar KNOWING the truth, is why I will see you and your kind ended, even if it costs me EVERYTHING. You are not even a JEW. Run tell that.' Hunter regularly tours the UK and has appeared on comedy panel shows Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Have I Got News For You and 8 Out Of 10 Cats. Mr Lawler told the court on Friday that the comedian was due to begin a tour of England and Wales tomorrow. The prosecutor said Hunter was scheduled to do a gig in London on July 6, adding that his legal team may be able to serve him his court summons in person at the venue on that date. The CAA describes itself as an organisation of volunteers which works to 'expose and counter antisemitism through education and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law'. Stephen Silverman, the group's director of investigations and enforcement, said: 'This is one of a number of private prosecutions that we are bringing, and there will be more to say on the case in due course.' Hunter's representatives have been approached for comment.
