A huge outcry on social media against Israeli actress and Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot has led to her upcoming film Death On The Nile being banned in Kuwait. It is an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s whodunnit Death on the Nile, one of her most famous works. The British author is dubbed the Queen of Crime.
The reason for Kuwait banning the release of Death on The Nile is Gadot. The movie is set to premiere in the US and worldwide on February 11 but it will not be released in Kuwait. According to the country’s Al-Qabas newspaper, the decision was made following demands on social media for the film to be banned. Social media users pointed towards Gadot’s praise of the Israeli army and her criticism of the Hamas terror group during the 2014 war in Gaza. Earlier, Wonder Woman had also been banned in some of the Arab countries due to the same reason.
Kuwait is opposed to normalising ties with Israel and has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause. A former Miss Israel, Gadot also did her mandatory two-year military service in Israel, before starting her acting career. Gadot had also praised Israel's military during the 2014 war, sending prayers to Israeli soldiers 'who are risking their lives protecting my country against the horrific acts conducted by Hamas', as per Daily Mail.
She was also previously slammed on social media after she was cast to play Cleopatra in the upcoming historical epic about the iconic Egyptian queen. The movie is produced by Wonder Woman franchise director Patty Jenkins and directed by Kari Skogland.
Gadot's casting drew outrage from confused social media users who wrongly assumed Cleopatra was black and North African. However, other social media users were quick to point out the Egyptian ruler was actually ethnically Greek or Persian, meaning Cleopatra was most likely fair-skinned, reports Daily Mail.
(With inputs from news agency)
