Israel's consul general in New York, Ofir Akunis, slammed Hollywood actress Rachel Zegler , who stars alongside Gal Gadot in the upcoming live-action "Snow White" movie, saying that the actress who called to "free Palestine" should be ashamed of herself.
In an interview with local radio station WINS 1010, Akunis said that Zegler "is a stranger to the truth" He added: "Does she know something about what happened now, what happened in the Middle East? She knows something about the Iranian threat? She knows something about Hezbollah? She knows something about Hamas? She knows something about radical Islam? I can't stand it, It's ridiculous. Shame on her, really. And if she wants to boycott Israel, if she wants to boycott the Israeli culture, it's unbelievable, it's ridiculous. And I'm calling from here, to all the American citizens, to buy tickets to the next Gal Gadot movie." He added that "Gal Gadot is wonderful and we are very proud."
Akunis' words come amid a storm on social media surrounding the new Disney film, in which Zegler and Gadot play the lead roles. The film, which was planned to be a modern adaptation of the well-known classic, became the talk of the day not only thanks to the production itself, but mainly due to the exchange between the two main actresses and the angry reactions on the networks.
The buzz started earlier this week at the D23 Expo, where the teaser for the film, slated for a March 21, 2025 release, was unveiled. Viewers remained largely indifferent to the footage and chose to focus on the two actresses, who faced criticism from all directions. Gadot, unsurprisingly, faced backlash for being Israeli, a Zionist, and a former IDF soldier, prompting many to announce a boycott of the film because of her, but this is nothing new. And Zegler's past pro-Palestinian statements also were highlighted, including one post-October 7 post which said: "And always remember, Free Palestine." The post has reached nearly five million viewers, received 45,000 likes, and garnered 4,800 comments, with supporters of Israel and of Palestinians lighting up the comments.
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Rache Zeger and Gal Gadot at release of the teaser trailer for 'Snow White'
(Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Gadot responded to the storm for the first time, but she did so indirectly and gently, with a story featuring a picture of Martin Luther King Jr. and his famous quote: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Next to the quote, she wrote: "Only love can truly save the world," ending with a heart and her name in Hebrew.
This move was seen as an attempt to respond indirectly to Zegler's words without entering into a direct confrontation.
Zegler's own tweet came after a period in which she experienced criticism on social media for her less than snow white skin and for not approaching the Snow White character as she is known from the original animated film. A deluge of sarcastic comments and Snow White-style critical talkbacks came very quickly, and many raised questions about her suitability for the classic role.
In the American entertainment media, Zegler's choice to use sharp political statements to express her positionswas interpreted as a firm response to the criticism leveled at her and though they have caused an uproar on social media networks,they did not remain in the realm of virtual discourse only, but have now reached official institutions as well. Akunis, with his public outrage over the affair, becomes the first Israeli official to address the storm publicly.