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As ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine intensify this week, Israeli-born actress and Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot has broken her silence on the crisis via social media. In an Instagram post, Gadot says she worries for her family and pleads for freedom for both countries.
“My heart breaks. My country is at war. I worry for my family, my friends. I worry for my people,” Gadot wrote. “This is a vicious cycle that has been going on far too long. Israel deserves to live as a free and safe nation. Our neighbours deserve the same. I pray for the victims and their families, I pray for this unimaginable hostility to end, I pray for our leaders to find the solution so that we could live side by side in peace. I pray for better days.”
The actress disabled comments on Instagram and Twitter after she received backlash for the post with some users accusing of her of “ethnic cleansing”.
Bella and Gigi Hadid have been extremely vocal on the violence on social media too. The women’s father, Mohammed Hadid, is Palestinian. Bella posted an image calling for the public to support the cause.
“You cannot advocate for racial equality, LGBT & women’s rights, condemn corrupt & abusive regimes & other injustices yet choose to ignore the Palestinian oppression. It does not add up,” the message read. “You cannot pick & choose whose human rights matter more.”
Shira Haas, the leading lady of award-nominated Netflix series Unorthodox also plead for peace overnight. Haas is Israeli.
Clashes between the two nations are constant and have been occurring for much of the 20th and 21st century. While both countries are no stranger to violence, the war for Palestinian rights and land intensified this week after Israeli airstrikes killed 30 Palestinians, including 10 children, and three Israelis. The most recent string of fighting is believed to have been sparked as Israeli police clashed with Palestinian protestors.
To understand the long and often unsettled history between the two countries, we suggest watching this video for important context.
