Calls in Lebanon to boycott an Israeli ex-military Gal Gadot

CAIRO – 31 May 2017: The Lebanese group Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel launched a campaign calling to boycott the screening of “Wonder Woman” film in Lebanon. They have launched a campaign to boycott the film because its lead actress Gal Gadot has served in the Israeli army during 2006 Israel-Lebanon war. Gadot, a former Miss Israel, posed in 2007 for a Maxim magazine (UK based magazine) spread called “The Chosen Ones: Israeli Defense Forces” celebrating the beautiful women of the Israeli military forces.

Furthermore, Gadot expressed support for Israeli forces during the war on the Gaza Strip in summer 2014.



The film distributor “Warner Bros” declined comment on the case.

There is no clear mechanism in Lebanon for appealing a ban on artwork, and public campaigns often are the only way to demand such a ban. Religious institutions have a say in artwork with religious references. However, banning a movie should come from the Interior Ministry following a recommendation from the six-member committee in the Ministry of Economy and Trade.

The Lebanese Ministry of Economy published an official statement on Monday May 29, 2017 through the Lebanese National agency stating that the Ministry has taken the necessary actions to ban the screening of Wonder Woman.

The statement mentioned that on May 29, 2017 the Ministry officially communicated with the General Directorate of Public Security to take the necessary measures to prevent the screening of the film.
Samah Idriss, a member of the boycott campaign said to the Associated Press “We now await the implementation. ... Even if it is one hour before the show, they should ban it anyway."

Gadot appeared in other films that were screened in Lebanon. This includes Fast and Furious, Triple 9, Criminal, and last year she appeared in Batman v. Superman.

Last year, the same campaign called to ban Batman v. Superman. On April 21, 2016 the General Secretariat of the Arab League issued a memorandum concerning the ban of screening films presenting the Israeli actress Gal Gadot.

Wonder Woman is set to open on Wednesday in at least one cinema in Beirut and scheduled to play in about 15 theaters in Lebanon starting Thursday.

Posters and digital billboards have sprouted up around the Lebanese capital. Wonder Woman also will open Thursday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Kuwait, then Oman on June 22 and Bahrain on June 29.

Lebanon and Israel have been through war with a peak in 2006 when the war destroyed Lebanese infrastructure and left hundreds dead.

In 2016, the United Nations announced an honorary ambassadorship for “Wonder Woman.” The campaign was later canceled after lobbying from organizations and activists against the selection of the wonder woman character. Among the reasons was that the character is an overtly sexualized image of women while these activists are fighting the objectification of women and girls. They also added that the selection does not respect diversity; a core value of the UN as the character is specifically active in the U.S. while the ambassadorship honors dozens of countries.