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Lebanon's Ministry of Economy is seeking to have DC's “Wonder Women” banned from theaters.
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The ministry is seeking to block the popular movie, because the lead actress, Gal Gadot, is Israeli.
Lebanon is “officially” at war with Israel. The country has in place decades-old legislation which supports the boycott of Israeli products as well as prohibits Lebanese citizens from traveling to Israel or having contact with its people.
According to a Lebanese security official, a formal request to have the film banned has not been filed. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that for a ban to be put into effect, a recommendation from a six-ministry-member committee would need to be submitted.
Gadot is a former Miss Israel, who served the mandatory two years in the army prior to her foray into acting. The actress has previously played supporting roles in "Fast and Furious" franchise sequels, none of which were banned in Lebanon.
In a widely shared post on Facebook, the actress lauded Israel military action during the 2014 Gaza-Israel war. Gadot was quoted as sending prayers to soldiers "who are risking their lives protecting my country against the horrific acts conducted by Hamas."
The Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel-Lebanon group has been campaigning fervently against the broadcasting of the movie in Lebanon. On its Facebook page, Boycott heaped praises on the ministry's stance. The group also stated that its advocacy for a "Wonder Woman" ban is based on Gadot's stint as a soldier in the Israeli Army as well as her expressed support for the military policies against the Gaza Strip — the coastal Palestinian territory run by Hamas militants.
This is the silver screen debut for the 75-year-old DC Comics character and Gadot has received acclaim as the lead.
She was first introduced in the role of “Wonder Woman” in the critically panned box office success "Batman vs Superman," which Lebanese anti-Israel campaigners also sought to have banned, but to no avail.
Despite the recent campaign, “Wonder Woman” is currently scheduled to be in theaters during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The film is set to be released in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait on Thursday, Oman on June 22 and Bahrain on June 29.
Additionally, posters and digital billboards of the movie appear all over the capital, Beirut. And, an advance premiere of the film is scheduled for Wednesday in at least one cinema, which has offered its members free popcorn.
Officials at the Lebanese Economy Ministry were not unavailable for comment.
Lebanon supports a wider margin of freedom of expression than its neighbors in the region, except when it relates to Israel-centric content, religion and homosexuality.
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