Another Middle Eastern Country Blocks Wonder Woman

John F. Trent |

Jun 9, 2017

After Lebanon outright banned Wonder Woman due to actress Gal Gadot’s Israeli heritage, Tunisia suspended the movie ahead of its Wednesday evening sneak premiere.

The Tunisian Association of Young Lawyers filed a lawsuit to halt the release of Wonder Woman which was expected to air in at least two Tunisian theaters on Thursday.

The movie was also pulled from a film festival in Algeria. But Amine Idjer head of MD Cine which is organizing the festival said it was pulled due to “administrative issues linked to exhibition rights.”

There are also reports that Jordan is deciding whether or not to approve the screening.

Jordan’s media commissioner Mohammad Qutaishat said, “Every film has to be presented to a committee in the Communications Commission, which needs to approve its screening in theaters.” He also responded to reports that cinemas in Amman and Irbid who may have already shown the film will face consequences for their actions.

The main reason for these Middle Eastern and North African countries to restrict, and in Lebanon’s case outright ban Wonder Woman comes from the fact that Gal Gadot is an Israeli citizen and served in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Israeli citizens are required to serve in the IDF upon turning 18. They also criticize Gadot because she praised the IDF’s military actions in Gaza back in 2014.

The Tunisian Association of Young Lawyers described Gadot as a “champion Zionist.” The grounds for their lawsuit are based on Gadot’s public praise of Israel’s military action in Gaza in 2014.

Two Jordanians who supported banning the film said “the film should be banned because the main character supports the occupation of Palenstine.”

The second one from Amman referenced Israeli crimes, “I read that the film aims to spread the message of empowering women, but can we rely on this message when we know that it supports the crimes of Israel against humanity?”

While Jordan hasn’t banned the movie yet there is a growing campaign to boycott the movie, “We remind the Jordanians of their obligation to boycott the film, and we refuse to be partners to the crimes of the Zionists and to increase their profits from this film. The Arab audience will not be involved in projects that represent Zionism and the Israeli army.”