BEIRUT — Disney’s new live-action adaptation of “Snow White” will not be showing in Lebanese movie theaters after the country’s authorities officially banned screenings this week over the role of Israeli actress Gal Gadot.
What happened: The Lebanese Ministry of Interior announced in a statement on Monday that Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar signed a countrywide ban on the movie on April 11, after the General Security’s media censorship committee urged him to do so over the inclusion of Gadot, who is on the country’s “boycott list.”
Gadot was born in Israel in 1985 and served in the Israeli military from 2005 through 2007 as a combat instructor as part of the country’s compulsory military service, coinciding with the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.
Her public support for Israel since Oct. 7 has earned her criticism in the region.
Disney’s live-action Snow White has been banned in Lebanon due to Gal Gadot’s casting, as she remains on the country’s official Israel boycott list, a rep for the film’s Middle East distributor confirmed to Variety. pic.twitter.com/yVPFW2Abm0
— Pop Tingz (@ThePopTingz) April 16, 2025
When Hamas launched its cross-border assault on south Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Gadot posted an image of a Star of David on her Instagram account with the caption, “I stand with Israel you should too. The world cannot sit on the fence when these horrific acts of terror are happening!”
She has since repeatedly called for the release of the hostages taken by Hamas militants during the attack.
Background: Lebanon previously banned screenings of “Wonder Woman” in 2017 and “Death on the Nile” in 2022, both starring Gadot.
Under Lebanese law, any form of interaction, trade or cultural exchange between Lebanese and Israeli citizens is strictly prohibited and could amount to treason or espionage, punishable by imprisonment or death. Lebanese citizens are also prohibited from traveling to Israel. The restrictions are embedded in the criminal code, the Boycott Law of 1955, and the Code of Military Justice.
Technically in a state of war, Lebanon and Israel have no formal diplomatic relations. Since the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, the two countries have been rocked by several conflicts, including 33 days of fighting in 2006 and more recently the 13-month war triggered by the war in the Gaza Strip.
Controversy has also surrounded the movie “Captain America: Brave New World,” which features another Israeli actress, Shira Haas. The movie is currently showing in cinemas across Lebanon, and Hajjar has faced criticism from pro-boycott activists.
In its Monday statement, the Interior Ministry denied the reports and said its decision to authorize the screening of “Captain America: Brave New World” was based on security recommendations, noting that Haas is not on the blacklist.
Haas’ character, Sabra, is in the original comics an Israeli superheroine and Mossad agent dressed in blue and white and with a Star of David around her neck. The movie character was changed to an American agent after activists accused Disney (which owns Marvel Studios) of supporting genocide.
Palestinians call for intensifying pressure on @Disney and @MarvelStudios until they entirely and permanently drop the racist anti-Palestinian character of Ruth Bat-Seraph (aka Sabra).
Boycott @DisneyPlus, @Marvel merchandise and all screenings of @CaptainAmerica. pic.twitter.com/oIg5mN71UU
— PACBI – BDS movement (@PACBI) July 25, 2024
Sabra is also the name of one of the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon where a Lebanese militia committed a massacre in 1982 with support from the Israeli military.
“Snow White”, where Gadot stars as the evil queen, was released in UAE cinemas on March 20 and will be shown in Egyptian cinemas starting on Wednesday, film distributor Mahmoud al-Defrawy was cited by local media as saying. The movie will open in theaters in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan on April 17, according to Disney MENA.
“Snow White” premiered in the United States on March 21 and has bombed at the box office. Zegler has also been outspoken about her support for Palestinians.
Last August, Zegler thanked fans for viewing the trailer and wrote on X, “And always remember, free Palestine.”
and always remember, free palestine.
— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) August 12, 2024
Know more: Israel continues to launch attacks in south Lebanon despite a US-brokered ceasefire that ended the war on Nov. 27, 2024. Since then, at least 71 civilians have been killed in Lebanon, according to the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The war, which broke out on Oct. 8, 2023, has left over 4,000 people dead. Meanwhile, Hezbollah attacks in Israel killed at least 45 civilians and 73 soldiers, according to Israeli authorities.
Since the ceasefire came into effect and the subsequent election of Western-backed President Joseph Aoun in January, the United States has been pushing for the disarmament of Hezbollah in exchange for Israel ceasing fire in Lebanon and withdrawing from the southern areas it has occupied.
Last month, Israel and Lebanon agreed to take part in indirect negotiations over the demarcation of their land border under US mediation. Some Israeli officials suggested the talks could lead to a normalization of relations between the two countries, an outcome Lebanese officials have rejected.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said last month, “Normalization with Israel is rejected by all the Lebanese people.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar threw his support behind the idea but said it might be premature.
“We wish to normalize our relations with Lebanon,” Saar said, adding, “This might be premature from the Lebanese point of view.”
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