Gal Gadot's Call For Israeli-Palestinian Peace Ignites Twitter Feud, 'Wonder Woman' Star Disables Comments After Backlash
May 13 2021, Published 12:12 p.m. ET
Gal Gadot called for the end to the Israel-Hamas conflict, sparking online backlash from particularly angry users. The comments grew to be so acrimonious that Gadot, a former Israeli Defense Forces fighter, disabled her comment section while keeping up her seemingly controversial post.
While the Wonder Woman star may have thought she was posting a unifying message on Twitter, she ignited an online war on the platform, with users accusing her of being a "propaganda" tool for Israel.
On Wednesday, May 12, the brunette beauty said her "country is at war" and she is worried for her family, friends and people. She insisted the Israeli people and their neighbors deserve to live in peace, noting that the war between Israel and Gaza must come to an end.
“Israel deserves to live as a free and safe nation," she wrote. "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 can live side by side in peace." The 36-year-old emphasized, "This is a vicious cycle that has been going on for far too long."
After sending her prayers to the victims and their families, she wrote: "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."
Gadot concluded: "I pray for better days."
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Given the polarizing nature of the situation all around the world, Gadot was met by very vexed users who bashed the actress, claiming she was supporting "ethnic cleansing" and “mass genocide."
However, other users felt Gadot was calling for peace and should not be attacked for her efforts. "The internet is angry at Gal Gadot because she’s an IDF veteran, which all Israelis are required to serve in for at least two years, and had the audacity to share a heartwarming message for peace in the conflict. A lot of disgusting people in her replies," one user wrote.
Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz also supported Gadot. "God bless @GalGadot," he wrote.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has gone on for decades, but in recent weeks, tension between the two began to rise after Israelis attempted to evict six Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
As protests turned violent, with the Israeli police shooting rubber bullets and grenades at Palestinians who threw rocks at them, Hamas — the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza — began launching hundreds of rockets into Israel. As of early Thursday, May 13, the IDF, per BBC News, said about 1,500 rockets have been launched from Gaza into Israel.
Israel launched their own air strike in return. Meanwhile, clashes have erupted on the streets, with cars and shops being torched. Hundreds of people have been injured, with over 60 people being killed, including young children.