Lebanon bans Wonder Woman because lead actress Gal Gadot is Israeli

Usually, a movie has to be somehow perceived as controversial to be banned from theaters, whether it features a same-sex romance or toes the line of religious acceptance. But Lebanon is banning Wonder Woman, the superhero flick centered around the titular DC Comics heroine, from its theaters this summer for a much different reason: The lead actress is Israeli.
Though major blows haven't been exchanged between Lebanon and Israel in over a decade, the two countries are still technically at war, Foreign Policy explains. An old law in Lebanon bans the import of any Israeli goods, as well as forbids any Lebanese citizens from traveling to Israel; Wonder Woman stars Israeli actress Gal Gadot as the title character. As a citizen of Israel, Gadot served in the Israeli army, per the country's mandatory service law.
Lebanon's Interior Ministry announced the ban just hours before Wonder Woman was set to premiere at select theaters across the country. Gadot also appeared in last year's Batman v Superman, playing the same character, but while that film was permitted to be screened in Lebanon when it dropped in 2016, protests and boycotts this time around apparently inspired the Lebanese government to change its tune.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?
Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published