Gal Gadot Warns of Rising Antisemitism at Wiesenthal Center Dinner

Actress Gal Gadot said she is frightened by how quickly hatred of Jews is spreading, and by how openly it is expressed and accepted, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

She spoke onstage at the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Humanitarian Award Dinner, held at the Beverly Wilshire. Her voice broke partway through, and she said she had not expected to become emotional. She asked what happens if people grow used to hearing and seeing hatred and simply look the other way. Then, she asked, where does it end?

The evening's honoree was Ynon Kreiz, co-chief executive of the Hollywood studio Skydance. Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Ellison spoke before Gadot took the stage. Accepting the award, Kreiz thanked Ellison for what he called a bold stand for Israel and the Jewish people.

Kreiz also said the relationship between the United States and Israel must remain unshakable. He added that disagreement with the policies of the Israeli government cannot become an excuse for hatred of Jews.

Before the ceremony, Kreiz told The Hollywood Reporter that he very much and wholeheartedly agreed with the Ellisons' response to an Instagram post by actor Mark Ruffalo. The post criticised the merger and Israel. Asked whether he would work with Ruffalo, Kreiz said the matter was not about one actor or one story.

The centre's chief executive, Jim Berk, told the same trade paper that the board of trustees chose Kreiz for the honour months before his Skydance offer. Berk's remark answers one question the timing might raise, namely whether the award was tied to the company's recent dealings.

Gadot's remarks were the most personal moment of the night. Her tears and her warning about silence set the tone for the room. Kreiz's speech kept to two themes: support for Israel, and a line between criticising a government and attacking Jews. Both speakers linked the evening to a wider concern about how antisemitism is discussed in public.