Hollywood Star Gal Gadot Honored at Jerusalem Film Festival
The Jerusalem Film Festival opened its 42nd edition under the shadow of the war in Gaza and the recent Iran–Israel conflict, with Hollywood star Gal Gadot as the guest of honor, CE Report quotes ANSA.
The festival’s organization was uncertain “until three weeks ago,” said director Roni Mahadav-Levin in an interview with AFP.
“Last month, we spent two weeks in shelters trying to decide whether we could keep the festival date,” he said, referring to the Iran–Israel conflict.
“It was a real challenge — flights were canceled, and guests were hesitant,” he added.
Gal Gadot, the Israeli actress best known for her role as Wonder Woman, received a special award to applause from several thousand spectators gathered in an amphitheater near Jerusalem’s Old City.
In her acceptance speech, the 40-year-old actress, born and raised near Tel Aviv, referenced the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, saying she “prays for the war to end and for calm and security for everyone here.”
“The most important thing, what we all hope for, is to be able to breathe again. And that will only be possible when all our hostages return home,” she said, referring to those abducted on October 7 in southern Israel and still held in Gaza.
Since October 7, Gal Gadot has faced online backlash from pro-Palestinian activists for her support of the Israeli military. At the same time, she has been criticized by right-wing Israeli media for her stance in favor of ending the war in Gaza.
