On Tuesday, the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony honoring Israeli actress Gal Gadot was marred by clashes between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian protesters, causing delays and prompting a police response. Dozens of protesters had converged in advance of the event for the Wonder Woman star, a vocal advocate for the Israeli military.
According to Variety, pro-Palestinian protesters waved signs bearing slogans like “Heroes Fight Like Palestinians,” “Viva Viva Palestina,” and “No Other Land Won Oscar,” a reference to the documentary that garnered the Best Documentary Oscar this month for its depiction of Israeli incursions into Palestinian territories in the West Bank.
A video shared by Variety reporter Katcy Stephan on X vividly captured protesters chanting, “shame on Gal Gadot,” while another showed several protesters being handcuffed by the police. The demonstrators also shouted slogans like “Up up with liberation, down down with occupation” and “not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crime,” reflecting their strong stance. Variety reported that nearly two dozen protesters were present on each side.
The demonstrations caused a roughly 15-minute delay in the ceremony. Even as the proceedings commenced, protesters' chants could still be heard, and police were summoned after a pro-Palestinian protester seized an Israeli flag.
Gadot, who portrays the Evil Queen in Disney’s live-action Snow White, served in the Israeli military and has been an outspoken supporter of Israel since the terrorist attacks on October 7 and the subsequent invasion of Gaza. Both on social media and in a passionate speech at the Anti-Defamation League’s annual summit on March 4, she has expressed her support. In her speech, she stated, “Never did I imagine that on the streets of the United States, and in cities across the globe, we would witness people not condemning Hamas, but celebrating, justifying, and cheering a massacre of Jews.”
In an interview with Variety ahead of Tuesday's ceremony, Gadot recounted how her political voice became more assertive following the Hamas-orchestrated assault on Israeli citizens on October 7th, 2023. "When innocent men, women, children, and elderly Holocaust survivors—abducted from the safety of their homes and beds—endured the harrowing events of that day, silence was not an option for me," she expressed deeply. "I was taken aback by the overwhelming tide of hatred, the presumption of knowledge among those who knew nothing, and the frequent unfairness of the media. It compelled me to speak out."
"My heart beats for humanity," she continued, her voice resonating with conviction. "I felt an obligation to stand up for those taken hostage." Regarding the criticism leveled at her stances, she added, "When your moral compass is unmistakably clear, your conscience remains untainted. I am unwavering in my advocacy, and I hold firm wishes for our world."
During the ceremony, Gadot cleverly sidestepped the contentious issue, instead expressing gratitude to Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins and Fast and Furious star Vin Diesel, humbly referring to herself as "merely a girl from a small Israeli town."
These developments preceded the opening weekend of Snow White, a film that has garnered its own share of controversy in the weeks leading to its release. Rumors of a rift between Gadot and her co-star Rachel Zegler, a vocal supporter of Palestine, intensified after Disney scaled down last weekend's world premiere, restricting interviews to in-house, talent-focused media. Zegler had also faced backlash for publicly lambasting the 1937 original Snow White and wishing on Instagram that Donald Trump and his supporters would "know no peace" following the November election, though she has since apologized.
Gadot is not the only Disney star to face scrutiny for their stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Last month, scores of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Hollywood premiere of Captain America: Brave New World, calling for a boycott due to the inclusion of Israeli superhero Ruth Bat-Seraph, alias Sabra, portrayed by Israeli actress Shira Haas. They held placards bearing slogans like "Disney supports genocide." In a collective letter, several Palestinian cultural groups lamented, "By reviving this racist character in any capacity, Marvel is condoning Israel's brutal oppression of Palestinians."
