Gal Gadot wins Genesis Prize for supporting Israel

Actor Gal Gadot has won the Genesis Prize, sometimes called the “Jewish Nobel”, for supporting Israel even as backlash against the country’s actions in Gaza rocked Hollywood. 

Since 7 October 2023, Gadot has been an outspoken advocate for Israelis taken captive by Hamas. Calling herself “a proud Jew and a proud Israeli”, she said she would dedicate the $1 million (R17.1 million) award to “organisations who will help Israel heal”. 

Recipients of the prize, first awarded in 2014, customarily donate it to causes they choose, which have included advancing women’s equality, racial and economic justice, and combating antisemitism and “efforts to delegitimise the state of Israel”, according to a release from The Genesis Prize Foundation, which is based in Israel. 

Stan Polovets, the co-founder and chief executive of The Genesis Prize Foundation, praised Gadot’s “moral clarity”. 

“The award recognises her bravery and moral courage: her steadfast defence of Israel at great personal and professional risk; her advocacy for the hostages; her compassion for victims of terror; and her empathy for all innocent victims of this terrible war unleashed by Hamas,” he said. 

Gadot, who served two years in the Israel Defense Forces as part of Israel’s compulsory service before being cast in the title role in the 2017 superhero film Wonder Woman, has repeatedly used her platform to campaign for the release of Israeli hostages. On 12 October 2023, she was among 700 celebrities and entertainment leaders, including Jerry Seinfeld, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Chris Pine, who signed a letter condemning Hamas for “evil” and “barbaric acts of terrorism”. 

That same day, Gadot posted an Instagram story that said, “Killing innocent Palestinians is horrific. Killing innocent Israelis is horrific. If you don’t feel the same, I think you should ask yourself why that is.” The post sparked outrage from some Israelis over her comparison of Palestinian and Israeli deaths. 

Gadot deleted the story and apologised. Since then, she hasn’t used the words “Palestinians” or “Gaza” on social media. 

Gadot also helped organise a screening of graphic 7 October footage in Los Angeles in November 2023, prompting a demonstration by pro-Palestinian activists who said the film was “Gal Gadot military propaganda” used to justify Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. 

Though Israel garnered sympathy in some parts of Hollywood after 7 October, its devastating war in Gaza over the next two years roiled the entertainment industry. Israel and Hamas agreed to a fragile ceasefire last month. 

More than 3 000 celebrities, including Emma Stone; Bowen Yang; and Jewish creatives such as Jonathan Glazer; Andrew Garfield; and Hannah Einbinder, signed onto a boycott of Israeli film institutions in September. Another letter from celebrities opposing the boycott amassed 1 200 signatures. 

The Genesis Prize was most recently awarded to Argentinian President Javier Milei for “his steadfast commitment to the state of Israel during one of the most difficult years in the history of the Jewish state”, according to the prize committee. Milei went to Jerusalem in June to accept the prize. 

Israeli-American actor Natalie Portman was awarded the Genesis Prize in 2018, but declined to attend the Jerusalem ceremony because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to speak there. At the time, Israeli forces had killed dozens of Palestinians in response to protests on the Gaza border. 

Gadot, who recently starred as the evil queen in a live-action adaptation of Snow White, is set to play a Holocaust survivor in an upcoming film, Ruin.