Gal Gadot-starrer 'Snow White' banned in Lebanon

Los Angeles, April 16 (IANS) Amidst the global tariff wars, the tension in the middle east is trickling down to Hollywood productions. The live-action film 'Snow White' has been banned from playing in movie theaters in Lebanon due to the presence in the film of Israeli actress Gal Gadot.

The actress essays the role of the Evil Queen in the film. The ban was ordered by Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar, reports 'Variety'.

According to local media, the minister was prompted to take action by the country’s film and media watchdog amid Israel’s ongoing attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, which have caused civilian deaths. However, a representative for Beirut-based Middle East distributor Italia Films, which handles Disney titles in the region, told 'Variety' that Gadot has long been on Lebanon’s “Israel boycott list” and that no movie in which she stars has ever been released in the country.

Representatives for Gadot did not immediately respond to the request for comment.

As per 'Variety', the Italia Films representative added that, contrary to several reports, 'Snow White' has not been banned in Kuwait.

Gadot, who was born in Israel and served in the Israel Defense Forces, has been an outspoken advocate for the country, especially following the October 7 attacks by Palestinian fighter group Hamas, which is a designated terror outfit. In a passionate speech she delivered on March 4 when she was honored at the Anti-Defamation League’s annual summit in New York City, she said, “Never did I imagine that on the streets of the United States, and different cities around the world, we would see people not condemning Hamas, but celebrating, justifying and cheering on a massacre of Jews".

The October 7, 2023 attacks on many civillians holding dual citizenships, triggered a brutal response from Israel as crackdown on Hamas leading to countless civilian casualties in the country in the middle east. Ever since, the world has been divided into people who are pro-Israel, anti-Israel, and those who support the two state solution to the decades long bloody conflicts between Palestine and Israel, the latter which came into effect after the Balfour Declaration.

The 'Snow White' ban in Lebanon follows a similar move by the country’s authorities roughly two months ago, when Marvel’s 'Captain America: Brave New World' was not allowed to screen due to the presence in the film of Israeli actress Shira Haas.

--IANS

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