Backlash over alleged Islamophobia in Wonder Woman 1984 has reemerged following actor Gal Gadot’s purported involvement in the U.S. screening of a film about the attack on Israel by Islamist militant group Hamas.
A screening of the 43-minute Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) documentary Bearing Witness, which features graphic footage from the October 7 surprise attack, resulted in a mass brawl between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters outside Los Angeles’ Museum of Tolerance on Wednesday night. Gadot, who reportedly helped arrange the screening, was not in attendance.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said that more than 10,800 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict erupted last month, according to The Associated Press. Israeli officials say that more than 1,400 Israelis have been killed, mostly civilians who were killed during the initial attack. Israel also says that around 240 hostages are being held in Gaza.
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 minor subplot of the film involves an Arabic character demanding that “heathens” be expelled from his ancestral homeland.
Some also criticized Gadot over her two years of service in the IDF—a requirement for all Israeli citizens—and a Wonder Woman 1984 scene that 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.
Newsweek reached out for comment to Gadot’s publicist via email on Thursday.
“In case anybody wondered, yes, Gal Gadot just straight-up screened a military’s propaganda video in support of an ongoing genocide to influencers,” wrote @tha_rami, who has more than 200,000 followers on X, formerly Twitter. “Not that that’s surprising. Remember the ‘use missiles to save Arab kids’ scene in WW84? She’s been a violence-apologist forever.”
“She already helped make Zionist propaganda, it’s called Wonder Woman 1984,” wrote @HazeRedux, commenting on Gadot’s reported involvement in arranging the Bearing Witness screening.
Gadot did denounce “killing innocent Palestinians” alongside Israelis in an Instagram post days after the ongoing conflict erupted. She later deleted the post after facing a wave of backlash from Israelis who claimed that the statement was too “neutral.”
Criticism over the Israeli military’s response to the Hamas attack has recently been ramping up as the death toll in Gaza grows. While some progressive lawmakers and many pro-Palestinian activists have been calling for a ceasefire, Israel has rejected the calls.
The United Nations and world leaders, including President Joe Biden, a staunch ally of Israel, have also been calling for a humanitarian pause to the hostilities. Israel agreed to a 4-hour daily pause on Thursday, while declining requests for a multi-day pause.
