Gal Gadot's casting as Cleopatra starts Twitter debate over Israeli actress playing Egyptian queen

It has been only a day after actor Gal Gadot announced that she will be reuniting with her Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins for a period drama based on the life of the queen of Egypt, Cleopatra. In a social media post, the actor made it clear that the story will portray the last ruler of Egypt’s Ptolemaic Kingdom in a new light as the story will be told “through women’s eyes, both behind and in front of the camera”. See the post

However, Twitter users were fixated on something else. Many took objection to an Israeli woman playing an Egyptian queen. Twitterati posed a simple question as to why the makers could not cast an Arab or Black woman for the role.

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Cleopatra was an Egyptian queen, It was better to choose an Egyptian actress to play the role. What about those Egyptian actresses? pic.twitter.com/Gs8RTZukxA

— Joksyeel (@joky06225352) October 13, 2020

Many pointed out how it was “not right” to cast someone who has been a former Israeli Defense Force soldier.

Whatever you think of her being cast as Cleopatra, never forget that Gal Gadot proudly served (and continues to support) a colonial army notorious for maiming and murdering civilians.

— Steven Salaita (@stevesalaita) October 11, 2020

Gadot, like other Israeli men and women, had served in the country’s army and even participated in the 34-day conflict between Lebanon and northern Israel in 2006. This Twitter brigade was however soon brought down by another set of Twitterati who pointed out that although Cleopatra was the ruler of Egypt, she was not Egyptian. In fact, she was Macedonian Greek.

Cleopatra...wasn’t Arab pic.twitter.com/nwDFZsGh6t

— Daniel Sugarman (@Daniel_Sugarman) October 11, 2020

So, she didn’t know Cleopatra was Greek & she calls the stunning Gal Gadot “very bland looking”. Pathological hatred of Israel does strange things to people’s brains. https://t.co/dgOa9ILFFJ

— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) October 12, 2020

Cleopatra was Macedonian Greek, not Arab, and Gal Gadot's family has been in Israel for six generations. Take a deep breath, Sameera. https://t.co/xYEunlp5aK

— Avi Mayer אבי מאיר (@AviMayer) October 12, 2020

Gal Gadot, who is Israeli, was cast to play Cleopatra

Now we're finding out how many people didn't know that Cleopatra wasn't actually of Egyptian descent https://t.co/leuKzE1F6y

— Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) October 12, 2020

I'm going to say this once and I'm not going to say it again, Cleopatra was Greek.

Yes, she was in Egyptian ruler but she was Greek with Persian and Syrian ancestry. The people who are reacting negatively that to this are uneducated and uninformed.

Gal Gadot deserves this role. pic.twitter.com/7h1oYu9ClX

— The Moonlight Warrior 🌙 (@BlackMajikMan90) October 11, 2020

Cleopatra was ethnically Macedonian Greek. Stop shaming @GalGadot and dividing people based on falsities. Reserve your outrage for world issues that urgently need our attention.

— Nazanin Boniadi (@NazaninBoniadi) October 12, 2020

Cleopatra belongs to the ancient Greeks. Gal can play her. End of discussion.

— Giorgio A. Tsoukalos (@Tsoukalos) October 13, 2020

Many opined that people actually had reservations about a Jew playing the role.

Cleopatra...wasn’t Arab pic.twitter.com/nwDFZsGh6t

— Daniel Sugarman (@Daniel_Sugarman) October 11, 2020

Before the 35-year-old star, actors Vivien Leigh and Elizabeth Taylor have portrayed Cleopatra on screen.