On Tuesday, Gal Gadot received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—but not without a heavy helping of drama. Right before the Snow White star received her personal sidewalk star, pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protesters crashed the event, delaying the ceremony.
The Los Angeles Times reports that several dozen protestors carrying signs and waving flags interrupted the beginning of Gadot’s induction ceremony, standing in a tented-off area on Hollywood Boulevard. Some of the pro-Palestinian signs reportedly read “Heros Fight Like Palestinians” and “No Other Land Won Oscar;” opposing pro-Israeli protestors waved the Israeli flag and held signs with slogans like “Hamas No Mas.”
Per Variety, police arrived to the scene after a pro-Palestinian protester allegedly snatched an Israeli flag. A video posted on X by Variety reporter Katcy Stephan captures the police chasing and securing a man who in turn is being pursued by other protesters. According to the LA Times, an LAPD public information officer said no arrests were made at the protests. Gadot’s ceremony began approximately 15 minutes late due to the interruption. Protest chants like “Up up with liberation, down down with occupation” and “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crime,” could be heard throughout the ceremony.
The Walk of Fame ceremony was emceed by Steve Nissen and attended by Gadot’s Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, as well as her Fast and Furious (2009) co-star Vin Diesel. Gadot called Jenkins her “Wonder Woman behind the camera” and “a beacon of light.”
“Working with you taught me to trust myself and my powers as an actress. It was only after our movie that I finally started to call myself an actress,” she added.
To Diesel, Gadot said, “you took a chance on a complete unknown and invited me to the Fast and Furious family. It was my first movie ever, and your faith in me completely changed the course of my life… We’re always family.” Gadot’s husband, entrepreneur Jason Varsano, and their four daughters were also present at the ceremony.
Gadot is the first Israeli actress to receive a star on the walk of fame. During the ceremony, Gadot repeatedly referenced her roots, saying she’s “just a girl from a town in Israel” to cheers from the crowd. “I could never imagine such a moment,” she continued. “I never dreamt of becoming an actress, and I never knew that these things are possible… This star will remind me that with hard work and passion and some faith, anything is possible.”
Gadot, who served a mandatory term in the Israel Defense Force, has made her support for her home country well known. In the wake of October 7th, she posted about her support for Israel on her personal Instagram: “I stand with Israel you should too.” Earlier this month, Gadot was honored at the Anti-Defamation League’s annual summit in New York City. “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 during her acceptance speech.
The Walk of Fame ceremony and ensuing protests took place hours after news broke that Israel had launched “extensive air strikes” in Gaza targeting Hamas, ending the ceasefire agreement. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s attack killed over 400 people and wounded hundreds more, making it the deadliest day in Gaza since November 7, 2023.
