Disney fans in the UAE have told The National they are staying away from the studio's live-action Snow White because of the political stance of its star, Gal Gadot.
The Israeli actress plays the Evil Queen in the musical remake of the 1937 animated classic, starring opposite Rachel Zegler, who plays Snow White. The film, which was made for an estimated $250 million, opened to scathing reviews over the weekend.
Gadot, a former beauty queen, served in the Israeli army for two years before embarking upon her Hollywood career. She has been open about her support for her country and its policies, particularly during Israel's war on Gaza, in which more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023.
Addressing criticism of her stance, she recently told Variety: "When your compass is clear, your conscience is clean. I know what I’m advocating for, and I know what I wish for the world.”
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Ruth Bradley, a mother of three who has lived in the UAE for 21 years, says she and her family have made the "informed decision" not to watch Snow White because of Gadot and also as a protest against Disney.
Bradley, the founder of Ruth Bradley Consulting, recalls a recent holiday with her family in Sri Lanka where she says they had an "upsetting experience" watching Israeli soldiers "parade around our pool bragging loudly about how many Palestinians they had killed".
"It is something that will live with us forever, but more importantly it raised questions from our 13-year-old son, which we had to answer in the most delicate and sensitive way possible, as to what exactly is happening in Palestine and why," she tells The National.
chief operating officer at Ostrich AI
"Despite the war having broken out the previous October, it was our first proper moment to educate our son, directly linked to something he was seeing and hearing with his own eyes and ears. Fast-forward a year and actress Gal Gadot, a pretty renowned former [Israeli] soldier, who has made no secret of her support for Israel, is one of the lead characters in Snow White. What sort of a message do we impart to our son by going to watch this film?
"It’s the same reason we haven’t stepped foot in a Starbucks or a McDonald’s," she adds.
For Palestinian filmmaker Waleed K Hmidan, going to the movies will not be escapism if Gadot is in it, but "a reminder that I have a home I am unable to return to".
"Gal Gadot has never been shy to make dehumanising comments about Palestinians and aiding colonialism and genocide," he says, adding that the actress is proud of her Israeli military service. "I will not normalise having her appear on the big screen."
British-Palestinian senior communications manager Nadia Taha says she is boycotting the movie to set an example for her niece.
"I want to be a role model for the next generation, and I refuse to watch Snow White as Gal Gadot's political views go against everything I stand for," says the Dubai resident. "Moreover, it really upset me that dwarfs were not hired to be featured, and that CGI was used instead. It’s 2025, we need to be more inclusive and give [people with dwarfism] the chance to represent themselves."
In January 2022, actor Peter Dinklage, who has a form of dwarfism, criticised the live-action remake by calling it a “backward story". Disney's response, turning the seven dwarfs into supernatural beings rendered in CGI, caused even more furore and allegations that it took away acting opportunities from performers with dwarfism.
Heba Adal, a housewife living in Dubai, says she is taking a stance by not spending her money on the film. "I am definitely not watching anything Gal Gadot is in. I'm not paying for someone who supports genocide," she says. "People need to understand that every little amount adds up."
Rona Saadeh, a Palestinian consultant, says she is doing the same. "Never in a million years would I choose to spend my time and money watching a film with an occupation-supporting actor – much less a film that claims to want to reinvent a fairy tale to fix outdated notions – even if she is cast as the wicked character," she says.
Senior PR manager Tooba Khan, who calls herself a "former fan" of Gadot, says she decided to stop watching her films after comments she has made since Hamas’s October 7 attack.
"Gal Gadot has long been one of my favourite actresses, especially after her role as Wonder Woman, a character who represented both female empowerment and strength. But after October 7, she made comments on social media that really troubled me," says Khan, who is Indian. "Whether they were born out of ignorance or a conscious choice to ignore the broader reality, her focus on the suffering of Israelis, while neglecting the pain of millions of Palestinians, including women and children, was hard to ignore. That was a turning point for me, and I decided to unfollow her on social media.
"Since then, I’ve made it a point to avoid watching her films, even though I was genuinely interested in movies like Heart of Stone. It’s tough to separate my admiration for her on-screen roles from her real-life stance, which seems to support causes that fuel so much human suffering. And for this reason, I won’t be watching the latest Snow White movie either, even though I’m a huge fan of the classic.
"I honestly urge platforms like Netflix and theatres in the region to reconsider showing her films or those of anyone who supports such harmful values. It’s important to send a clear message that there are consequences for backing causes that perpetuate injustice."
Dubai resident Muhammed Ali "Mali" Jamadar agrees, saying Gadot is someone "who has vocally painted genocide victims as aggressors".
"While she has done this since October 7, 2023, she's supported the [Israeli army's] previous incursions into Gaza and supports the illegal expansion of settlers in the West Bank," says Jamadar, the chief operating officer at Ostrich AI in Dubai.
"Why would anyone with a conscience support a former soldier-turned bad actress who is clearly pro-colonisation?"
Gadot's political stance is not the only reason people are deciding not to watch the film.
"I don’t hate Gal Gadot but she’s a terrible actress. It’s why I don’t want to watch Snow White," says a Dubai entrepreneur, who has asked not to be named.
"I’ve watched a few movies she’s in and she delivers lines robotically in monotone in every single one. Her politics, of course, make it worse," they said. "People feel one of the few choices they have as a consumer is to boycott or 'avoid' certain media due to the politics of people in them. If we talk about politics, we can’t ignore Rachel Zegler, who’s been pretty pro-Palestine and suffered for that reason too."
In August, after thanking fans for 100 million-plus views of the Snow White trailer, Zegler wrote: "And always remember, free Palestine."
In an interview with Variety two months later, she doubled down on her stance, saying: "I can’t watch children die ... I’m only responsible for what I feel. And then I’m also responsible for how I act upon it. We’re nearing one year since the horrendous attacks in Israel on October 7, but I’ve been following this conflict for so many years.”
Abeer Fadili, a retired Iraqi entrepreneur who was born in Dubai, says she will not be watching a movie "where the main star and almost everyone who made it supports and justifies the murder of children and civilians".
"You don't need to be pro-Palestine to take a stance, you just need to be pro-human," she says.
