Gal Gadot role sees Jordanians call for Death On The Nile ban

Jordanians are calling for the new film, Death On The Nile, to be banned from cinemas in the country due to the inclusion of Israeli actress Gal Gadot. 

The Arabic hashtag #Ban_the_Zionist_film is now trending on Jordanian Twitter, with many cinema goers equating the screening of the film with normalisation of the Israeli occupation due to Gadot's past service in the military. 

"The Jordanian people will not permit the Zionists to appear on our screens," noted Jordanian activist Anas Al-Jamal said. 

Activists were quick to point out the Wonder Woman star's past support for the Israeli military's 2014 assault on Gaza. 

Jordanians refuse to see former Israeli Apartheid soldier Gal Gadot who has Palestinian blood on her hands on our cinema screens. No to the showing of Death on The Nile in Jordan
#امنعوا_الفيلم_الصهيوني pic.twitter.com/pp9lmG9wiu

— SA (@SA_2AR) February 16, 2022

"Kuwait banned the showing of a film in which the former soldier in the occupation army Gal Gadot acts. Thanks to Kuwait for its honourable and noble positions from its leadership, government and people," Jordanian activist Maya Rahal wrote.

Joining the condemnation of the screening of the film, the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement in Jordan tweeted their disapproval of the screening of Gadot's latest movie, which is based on the 1937 Agatha Christie novel.

"We demand banning the Death On The Nile movie from showing in Jordanian cinemas, starring a former soldier in the Israeli occupation forces," they tweeted. 

"We are appalled as to why the film was allowed to be shown even though a previous film by the same actress had already been banned." 

The follow-up to the 2017 film Murder On The Orient Express has already been banned in Lebanon and Kuwait, due to the inclusion of Gadot. 

Previous films by the Israeli actress, most notably Wonder Woman, have also been subject to restrictions in some Arab countries. 

Despite growing calls for a ban, it does not appear that Jordanian authorities will order the film off cinema screens in the kingdom. 

"The nationality of the Israeli actress is not a justification for banning the screening of the film," Tariq Abu Al-Ragheb, General Director of the Media Commission, was quoted by local media as saying. 

He said films are approved by monitors so long as they don't "affect religious or general Arab issues, including the Palestinian cause".