As Wonder Woman 1984 released on 25 December, arguments against the protagonist, played by Gal Gadot, came rushing back on Twitter. The success of the film is off the charts. Second in the franchise, Wonder Woman has garnered major support from the audiences. But there's a section that's divided and are labelling Gadot as a "war criminal".
What's the Backstory?
Gal Gadot has a reputation for being a proud Israeli and has also served in Israeli Defense Force (IDF). She served for two years as a soldier. It is a known fact that from the age of 18 every Israeli male and female is required to serve three and two years, respectively, of compulsory military service. Refusing to enrol has resulted in repeated jail sentences for some citizens.
In 2017, a Lebanese social media campaign named 'The Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel-Lebanon' called to ban Wonder Woman because of Gadot's involvement in the Army. The campaign was successful and the movie was banned in Lebanon.
Israel-Palestine Issue at the Centre of Call for Boycott Against 'Wonder Woman'
The Israel-Palestine conflict has been making headlines for years. After the Holocaust, Jews who survived wanted to create a safe haven in a country in the Middle East called Palestine, which is an Arabic-speaking nation. Both nations, Palestine and Israel, claim that the land was granted to them thousands of years ago because of the significance of the city Jerusalem. Israel ended up gaining control and the settlers forced the Muslims out. The areas that are still being fought over to this day are Gaza and the West Bank.
Gal Gadot Targeted on Social Media
Here's what a section of social media has to say about Gal Gadot.
Some Speak in Defence of Gadot
In July 2014, Israel invaded Gaza after Hamas kidnapped and murdered three Israeli teenagers. Over 2,000 Palestinians were killed, including 495 children. 72 Israelis were killed, 66 military personnel and 6 citizens. Post this, Gal Gadot took to Facebook to share her view on the conflict.
Some on social media also went out to post about how her six-year-old post is brought up every time her movie is up for a release, and mandatory enrolment in IDF is used against her.
Many, aside of the conflict and the Twitter chatter, coin Wonder Woman as a feminist film and with that...the franchise is nothing short of successful. Is it possible to watch the movie for the art and keep what Gadot posted, six years ago, out of the discussion? Or is it fair to hold actors responsible?
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)