Gal Gadot's Hollywood Walk of Fame star was targeted with graffiti by vandals before being cleaned up within a few hours by two Israeli men. Photo / Getty Images
Gal Gadot's Hollywood Walk of Fame star was targeted with graffiti by vandals before being cleaned up within a few hours by two Israeli men. Photo / Getty Images
The Hollywood star dedicated to Israeli actor Gal Gadot has been defaced with the words “baby killer”.
Vandals used a black permanent marker to write the slur against Gadot, a former member of the Israeli Defence Forces.
They also changed her surname from Gadot to “Greestien” – a misspelling ofGreenstein.
Her parents, who are Jews of European heritage, changed their surname from Greenstein to Gadot before she was born.
The actor’s pink star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles was also defaced with a sticker that read: “Israeli snipers target children”, reports the Times of Israel.
Pro-Palestine protesters have targeted Gal Gadot and defaced her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. Photo / Getty Images for Disney
Gadot’s star was unveiled in March, making her the first Israeli actor to receive the honour. At the unveiling ceremony, the Wonder Woman star told a packed crowd: “I’m just a girl from a town in Israel.”
Within a few hours, the graffiti was removed by a pair of Israeli men who visited the site, the newspaper reports. It was not clear exactly who they were. In a photograph posted on X, they smile at the camera while using detergent spray and a brush to clean away the writing.
The vandalising of her Hollywood star came as British police arrested five pro-Palestine protesters who attempted to disrupt the production of a film starring Gadot.
Gal Gadot has become a target of pro-Palestine protests because of her high profile and the fact she served in the Israeli Defence Forces. Photo / Getty Images
In recent weeks, London locations of The Runner have been targeted by activists who have criticised the casting of Gadot as the film’s lead.
She plays a London-based lawyer whose son is abducted and is forced to obey cryptic commands issued by his kidnapper.
The Metropolitan Police said the protesters had targeted the film solely because of Gadot’s nationality.
At previous demonstrations, the activists waved Palestinian flags and displayed a red banner with “Stop Starving Gaza” written on it in white letters. Others clanged saucepan lids on Waterloo Bridge while shouting through megaphones: “Gal Gadot, shame on you”.
Gadot has become a target of pro-Palestine protests because of her high profile and the fact she served in the Israeli Defence Forces.
After winning the Miss Israel pageant in 2004, she was conscripted into the army and served as a combat trainer, specialising in gymnastics, calisthenics and hand-to-hand techniques.
It is believed she did not see combat and did not re-enlist when the Gaza war began in October 2023.
Gadot has not publicly commented on the protests.
On Wednesday, officers were deployed to a filming location to identify suspects wanted in connection with offences at earlier protests, and to deal with any new offences.
In a statement, the force said the protesters were arrested for harassment and offences under Section 241 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act, which deals with wrongfully and unlawfully obstructing access to a workplace.
Two of the arrests relate to incidents at previous protests, while three relate to offences that took place on Wednesday. All five suspects remain in custody.
Superintendent Neil Holyoak, who led the operation, said: “While we absolutely acknowledge the importance of peaceful protest, we have a duty to intervene where it crosses the line into serious disruption or criminality.
“We have been in discussions with the production company to understand the impact of the protests on their work and on any individuals involved.
“I hope today’s operation shows we will not tolerate the harassment of or unlawful interference with those trying to go about their legitimate professional work in London.”
