Why is the Internet Angry at Wonder Woman Actor Gal Gadot

Wonder Woman actor Gal Gadot is in the eye of the storm and she will need more than the ‘Magic Lasso’ to shut the controversy. The Israel-born actor, who has served a mandatory two years as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces issued a statement in support of her home country in the recent violence between Israel and Palestine. Her comment has drawn a lot of back lash. 

“My heart breaks. My country is at war,” Gal 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.”

Angry netizens called her out for using the word “neighbors” instead of referencing Palestine by name and for supporting Israel despite the country launching violent attacks on Palestine. While some other Twitter users severely criticised Gal for supporting “ethnic cleansing” and “mass genocide”. The onslaught of harsh criticism led her to disable comments on the controversial tweet. 

Some even criticised her role as Wonder Woman and this isn’t the first time this has happened. Gal’s past association with the Israel Defense Forces has stirred up controversy earlier as well. In 2017, Lebanon’s Ministry of Economy banned the release of “Wonder Woman” because of Gal’s involvement and the country’s war with Israel.

However, despite the bitterness, some supporters pointed out that Gal was calling for peace and should not be attacked.

Tension between Israel and Palestine escalated after Israel launched several airstrikes on Palestine’s Gaza Strip, and the latter retaliated by firing waves of rockets from Gaza at Tel Aviv, the city of Ashkelon and the country’s main airport.