Wonder Woman Banned in Lebanon Over Gal Gadot’s Israeli Heritage

Mere hours before the film was set to premiere, the Lebanese government has decided to ban Wonder Woman from screening in the country, THR reports.

The opposition is not to the film itself, but the fact that lead actress Gal Gadot is Israeli and served in the military, as is customary for all Israeli citizens. Lebanon is currently at war with Israel and has laws preventing Lebanese citizens from traveling to Israel; the country bars contact with Israelis and actively boycotts Israeli products.

Previously, the Lebanon’s Ministry of Economy decided not to ban Batman v. Superman, in which Gadot played the same character, or any other films featuring Gadot, such as Fast & Furious 6 or Knight & Day.

The push to pull the film, led by local group Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel, has been met with mixed opinions both domestically and internationally. Many find issue with Gadot’s beliefs regarding the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

Still, the Lebanon ban is not expected to cause any huge issues with the film’ box office earnings, considering it was only set to play at 15 cinemas across the country.

Wonder Woman hits theater elsewhere on June 2. Read our review of the film here.