Gal Gadot’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony provokes protests over Israel-Hamas war

As Gal Gadot celebrated her latest Hollywood accolade on Tuesday, protesters came out to make their stances on the Israeli actress known amid a crumbling ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The “Snow White” and “Wonder Woman” star, 39, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Tuesday afternoon, with the actress, her family, “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins and “Fast & Furious” co-star Vin Diesel gathered next to the famous El Capitan Theatre to see her name cemented in the city’s history.

However, across the street from the tented ceremony, several dozen pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters were gathered with flags and signs in hand. Some read “standing with Israel,” while other poster boards had the faces of those who had been taken hostage or killed by Hamas following the militant group’s Oct. 7, 2023, invasion.

Another poster had the words “Snow White supports genocide” over a photo of Gadot’s Evil Queen character, while a large sign read, “Viva Viva Palestina” (“Long Live Palestine”).

No arrests made during Hollywood Boulevard protests

One video of the incident captured by Katcy Stephan, a film reporter for Variety, showed a few people against a wall being handcuffed by police outside the Ovation Hollywood shopping mall.

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A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson told USA TODAY that while there were detainments, no arrests were made.

USA TODAY has reached out to Gadot’s representative and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which administers the Walk of Fame, for comment.

The ceremony took place hours after the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry announced that Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed more than 400 people, two months after a ceasefire deal was brokered. The White House confirmed the Trump administration was “consulted by the Israelis” ahead of its attack. Israel said the aim of the assault was to exert pressure on Hamas to capitulate on issues such as the release of remaining hostages.

The strikes came early Tuesday amid stalled negotiations between the two sides to extend a truce that was already due to reach a decisive second stage for hostage releases and ending the war. In recent weeks, Israel has pushed — with U.S. support — Hamas to release significant numbers of hostages. Hamas has been unwilling to do that without assurances it would be allowed to stay in power in Gaza after the war.

Gal Gadot’s star ceremony was a rare outing with her husband, 4 daughters

After introductions from Diesel and Jenkins, an emotional Gadot took the stage to acknowledge the journey she took from Israel to Hollywood stardom.

“I’m just a girl from a town in Israel,” she said to raucous cheers. “And I could never have imagined such a moment. I never dreamt of becoming an actress, and I never knew that these things were possible.”

“If a girl from Rosh HaAyin can get a star (on) Hollywood Boulevard, anything is possible!” she later exclaimed.

Afterward, she posed on her newly minted star with husband Jaron Varsano and their daughters: 13-year-old Alma, 7-year-old Maya, 3-year-old Daniella and 1-year-old Ori.

“Whenever my success grew, I always got pregnant. I needed to ground myself,” she said during her acceptance speech. “That’s what I tell my agents: It’s either I’m making movies, or I’m making babies.”

Gal Gadot ‘could not be silent’ about Hamas hostages

Gadot, a former Miss Israel who was a combat fitness instructor in the Israel Defense Forces during her mandatory two years of service, shed light on her stance in an interview with Variety ahead of the Hollywood ceremony, saying her “conscience is clean” as she advocates for hostages of Hamas.

“On October 7th, when people were abducted from their homes, from their beds, men, women, children, elderly, Holocaust survivors, were going through the horrors of what happened that day, I could not be silent,” she told the outlet.

“I am all about humanity,” she said, describing herself as “a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor” and eighth-generation Israeli. Gadot added, “I am praying for better days for all. I want everybody to have good life and prosperity, and the ability to raise their children in a safe environment.”

An estimated 48,000 Palestinians have been killed since the October 2023 attack, per Gazan officials, with around 1,200 killed by Hamas during the invasion on southern Israel.

Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY; Olivia Le Poidevin, Reuters

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