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| via www.hiarpin.com |
I was looking forward to seeing Wonder Woman. She has always
been one of my favorite DC characters. Her history and evolution has been one
the most fascinating in the DC universe. I was all set to go see it the first
week it was out. But then I started to read about Gal Gadot, who plays Wonder
Woman.
For those who don’t know, Ms. Gadot is Israeli, and has
served in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). That in and of itself might not have
stopped me from enjoying the film, I tend to do well at separating an artist
from their politics. It was her very public restatement of Israeli government
propaganda about Gaza that has put me off. In 2014 she tweeted a photo of
herself praying with her daughter along with the following message:
“I am sending my love and prayers to my fellow Israeli citizens. Especially to all the boys and girls who are risking their lives protecting my country against the horrific acts conducted by Hamas, who are hiding like cowards being women and children.”
I am no supporter of Hamas, or any terrorist actions, but let
us be clear about what is happening in Gaza. This small strip of land (25 miles
x 5 miles) has been invaded 3 different times in the past 9 years. Thousands of
Palestinian civilians have been killed by the Israeli airstrikes and incursions
into Gaza. The infrastructure of Gaza has been effectively destroyed and the
Israeli blockade has prevented the importation of basic rebuilding supplies
like concrete and fuel. Electricity is available for between 2 and 4 hours a
day. The hospitals barely function, and many patients with serious issues have
been denied permits to transfer to hospitals outside of Gaza. This is the attempted
genocide of Palestinians in a collective punishment for the actions of Hamas.
The Palestinian issues in Israel go back to The Nakba,
Israel’s original sin. The Nakba was
the forced removal of Palestinians from their land when Israel was formed in
1948. Hundreds of Palestinian villages were destroyed and almost a million Palestinians
were became refugees in bordering countries. Ever since Arabs in Israel have
been second class citizens. Today, the expansion of settlements in the West
Bank has basically guaranteed that the idea of a “two state solution” will
never happen. In order to remain a “Jewish state,” Israel will continue to
solidify itself as an apartheid state. Its military will continue to brutalize
Palestinians. Its government will continue to incite Palestinians, looking for
a response that will, in my opinion, give them a “justification” to try and
remove Palestinians from all of Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.
Wonder Woman has always been a symbol of strength and
independence for women. From the start she has been THE superhero who rarely
kills, but uses her brain and her tools to capture the bad guys. She has fought
to protect women and children. Now she is tied to a woman who is strong and a
fighter and who celebrates the murder of women and children in Gaza.
So when Gal Gadot posts support of the IDF and its role in
occupying Gaza and the West Bank, I find it difficult to separate her from her
character. I cannot watch her without seeing the brutality inflicted on
Palestinians every day. So I have been unable to go see Wonder Woman, and I
will probably pass up Justice League also.
