Gal Gadot issues statement on Israel and Palestine conflict: 'Praying for this unimaginable hostility to end'

Actress Gal Gadot, who was born in Israel and served a mandatory two years as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, released a statement on the recent violence between Israel and Palestine. Gadot said it breaks her heart to her see her “country at war”. The Wonder Woman star added both Israel and its “neighbour” deserve to live as “free and safe” nations. “I pray for the victims and their families, I pray for this unimaginable hostility to end, I pray for our leaders to find the solution so we could live side by side in peace. I pray for better days,” Gadot added. However, her statement was met with criticism, with people calling out her for using the word “neighbour” instead of referencing Palestine by name. The backlash was so severe and vitriolic that Gadot disabled the comments section to her tweet. Read her statement here

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— Gal Gadot (@GalGadot) May 12, 2021

For weeks now, Palestinian protesters and the Israeli police have clashed on a daily basis in and around Jerusalem’s Old City. Until Wednesday, about 1,000 rockets have been fired at Israel, while the Gaza Strip has been pounded by relentless airstrikes. The death toll in Gaza rose to 53 Palestinians, including 14 children and three women, according to the Health Ministry, an Associated Press report said. At least 320 have been wounded, including 86 children and 39 women. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in the central city of Lod as police accused Arab residents of waging “wide-scale riots”. (With inputs from Press Trust of India)