Gal Gadot has no regrets about being outspoken in her support of Israel, despite the backlash her comments have ignited.
In a new interview with Variety, the actor acknowledged her overall reluctance to discuss politics ahead of her return to the big screen this Friday as the Evil Queen in Disney’s live-action reimagining of “Snow White,” starring Rachel Zegler in the title role.
But after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, thus triggering a massive Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, Gadot found that she “could not be silent.”
“I was shocked by the amount of hate, by the amount of how much people think they know when they actually have no idea, and also by how the media is not fair many times,” she told the outlet. “So I had to speak up.”
The Israeli-born actor went on to emphasize her personal investment in the conflict.
“I’m not a hater. I’m a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor who came to Israel and established his family from scratch after his entire family was erased in Auschwitz,” she said. “And on the other side of my family, I’m eighth generation Israeli. I’m an indigenous person of Israel.”
Gadot’s Variety interview was published a day after her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony was delayed after being hit with demonstrations from both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protesters.
Her stance also seemingly puts her at odds with Zegler. The Colombian American actor has expressed her support for Palestine, also drawing ire on social media.
Gadot and Zegler were joint presenters at the 2025 Academy Awards earlier this month and have appeared to be on good terms at “Snow White” promotional events since then. But their film’s Los Angeles premiere took place last week without a red carpet press line, prompting speculation that Disney was trying to prevent the two actors from taking on-the-spot questions that could touch on their politics.
That discourse has contributed to a fog of negative press surrounding the release of “Snow White,” which has also stirred controversy over the depiction of certain characters and modern tweaks on the original story.
In her Variety chat, however, Gadot shrugged off any lingering criticism.
“When your compass is clear, your conscience is clean,” she said. “I know what I’m advocating for, and I know what I wish for the world.”
Frank Micelotta via Getty Images
“I am praying for better days for all,” the mother of four continued. “I want everybody to have good life and prosperity, and the ability to raise their children in a safe environment.”
Despite the less-than-optimal buzz surrounding “Snow White,” early reviews of the movie have been mostly positive.
“If Snow White isn’t the best Disney live-action remake then it’s very close to it (Cinderella is its only competition). Such a beautiful delight,” Entertainment Weekly’s editor-in-chief Patrick Gomez wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Variety’s Katcy Stephan echoed those sentiments, calling Zegler a “shining supernova.”
“The screenplay wisely gives its heroine newfound depth through her fervent desire to become the leader her father believed she could be, and a love story that’s as sweet as apple pie,” she wrote on X.
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