Lebanon has banned Disney’s live-action Snow White from screening in theaters due to the inclusion of Israeli actress Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen. The decision was confirmed by Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar following a recommendation from the country’s film and media oversight body.
On HBO’s Real Time last Friday, host Bill Maher addressed the situation during his “New Rules” segment. “Now that Lebanon has announced it’s banning Snow White because it stars Gal Gadot, who was a sergeant in the Israeli Defense Force, someone has to tell them, ‘You’re working too hard,’” Maher said. “No one’s going to see that movie anyway.” He followed with, “And you’re not gonna settle 4,000 years of acrimony by crossing Gal Gadot. If you want 4,000 years of acrimony, you cross Blake Lively.”
Snow White opened in the United States on March 21 and has struggled at the box office, reportedly generating a loss of $115 million. It has also faced criticism related to the casting of Gadot, who has spoken publicly in support of Israel, and co-star Rachel Zegler, whose previous comments on former President Donald Trump and the film’s source material attracted online backlash.
A representative from Italia Films, which handles Disney titles in the Middle East, told Variety that Gadot has been listed on Lebanon’s “Israel boycott list” for years. “No movie in which [Gadot] stars has ever been released in the country,” the spokesperson said. The representative also denied rumors that Snow White had been banned in Kuwait.
Gadot, who served in the Israel Defense Forces, has remained publicly engaged on political matters. On March 4, she spoke at the Anti-Defamation League’s annual summit in New York. “Never did I imagine that on the streets of the United States, and different cities around the world, we would see people not condemning Hamas, but celebrating, justifying, and cheering on a massacre of Jews,” she said.
Lebanon’s Interior Ministry previously blocked the release of Captain America: Brave New World, citing the presence of Israeli actress Shira Haas. The recent decisions follow increased military activity between Israel and Hezbollah, with ongoing cross-border attacks resulting in civilian casualties in Lebanon.
