Gal Gadot has opened up about the backlash to her pro-Israel comments over the past few years.
Ahead of the ceremony to receive her star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, Gadot spoke to Variety about her journey to getting the acting accolade, as well as her personal background and history of sharing her political views publicly.
Gadot is Israeli, and served as part of the Israeli Defence Force in the ‘00s. She has been an outspoken supporter of Israel during the Hamas war and conflict with Palestine, and was among 700 Hollywood stars who signed an open letter supporting Israel in the days after the initial Hamas attack.
Sharing these views has led to Gadot facing criticism online, but the actor stands by her previous statements. “When your compass is clear, your conscience is clean,” she told Variety. “I know what I’m advocating for, and I know what I wish for the world.
“I am all about humanity, and I felt like I had to advocate for the hostages.”
Speaking specifically about the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023, Gadot said: “When people were abducted from their homes, from their beds, men, women, children, elderly, Holocaust survivors, were going through the horrors of what happened that day, I could not be silent.
“I was shocked by the amount of hate, by the amount of how much people think they know when they actually have no idea, and also by how the media is not fair many times. So I had to speak up.”
The star reiterated her personal connection to the situation, saying: “I’m not a hater. I’m a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor who came to Israel and established his family from scratch after his entire family was erased in Auschwitz. And on the other side of my family, I’m eighth generation Israeli. I’m an indigenous person of Israel.”
She continued: “I am praying for better days for all. I want everybody to have a good life and prosperity, and the ability to raise their children in a safe environment.”
Gadot returns to the big screen this week in Disney’s new live-action version of Snow White, in which she plays the Evil Queen. The film has been mired in controversy for much of the lead-up to its release, including actor Peter Dinklage calling out Disney for the tale’s depiction of dwarves, Latina star Rachel Zegler facing racist comments online after being cast in the lead princess role, and an overwhelmingly negative reaction to its trailer. Gadot was also incorrectly criticised for not presenting the Best Documentary Oscar to a Palestinian filmmaker at this year’s awards.
Gadot’s Walk Of Fame ceremony yesterday (18 March) was disrupted by both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine protestors, and the Snow White premiere in LA was scaled back from the usual Disney affair, with no news journalists invited to interview the cast and crew.
Snow White is in UK cinemas from 21 March.