Disney’s Snow White banned over Gal Gadot’s ties to Israeli army

Oil-rich Kuwait has removed Disney’s Snow White from its movie theatres following public backlash from Kuwaiti citizens over the lead actor’s ties to the Israeli army.

Kuwaitis are known as one of the most sensitive nations in the Gulf region in the face of Israel’s atrocities in Gaza and beyond.

According to the local Al-Qabas newspaper, the movie starring actress and former Israeli soldier Gal Gadot was removed after protests from the public and officials. It was scheduled to premiere on April 17.

Despite being a vocal advocate for Israeli hostages, Gadot refuses to comment on the suffering of Gazans in the face of Israeli genocide. Her past remarks raised eyebrows for referring to Palestinians as merely ‘neighbors’, clearly avoiding the word ‘Palestine’, in multiple statements prior October 7.

The move came amid growing public anger over Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, where at least 51,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children, since October 2023.

Lebanon banned Snow White in cinemas

Similarly, Lebanese local media reported that the Interior Ministry banned the film from cinemas across Lebanon over its star’s ties with the Israeli military.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

More than 6,500 Israeli intellectuals sign petition against Netanyahu

More than 6,500 Israeli academics and teachers, along with nearly 1,000 parents, signed a petition Monday urging the government in Tel Aviv to prioritize the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip—even if it means ending the war.

According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, approximately 3,500 academics backed a petition supporting an earlier letter by Israeli Air Force reservists that called for the hostages’ return and a halt to the conflict.

“We, members of the academic staff in higher education institutions, join the call of the Air Force soldiers and demand the immediate return of the hostages, even if it requires halting the war at once,” the petition stated.