Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
Fast Forward

Gal Gadot criticized for ‘anti-racist’ post, IDF service

“Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot is once again under fire for her response to a national calamity — this time, critics aren’t taking aim at her singing voice, but her military record.

This weekend Gadot posted an Instagram message urging followers to be “vocally anti-racist” in response to the protests surrounding the death of George Floyd. Many were quick to note what they viewed as hypocrisy by invoking her service with the IDF, with one user.

Another user dug up a post from Gadot’s Instagram, in which she sent support to Israeli troops during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, claiming that the actress was “twofaced (sic)” for having posted both messages.

Some were content to mock Gadot’s infamous “Imagine” video, where she went through her rolodex of celebrity friends for an execrable rendition of John Lennon’s ballad of peace. But journalist Ben Geier made an explicit analogy to the IDF and the actions of the American police, calling both oppressive and racist.

The tweets come at a time when many are scrutinizing exchange programs between the Israeli military police and American police. Those condemning these initiatives claim that Israel has taught American police departments to use tactics like racial profiling.

Like most Israelis, Gadot served two years in the IDF, where she worked as a combat trainer.

“I wish no country had the need for an army,” Gadot told Glamour in 2016. “But in Israel serving is part of being an Israeli. You’ve got to give back to the state. You give two or three years, and it’s not about you. You give your freedom away. You learn discipline and respect.”

PJ Grisar is the Forward’s culture fellow. He can be reached at [email protected].

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.