The first movie I remember watching was “101 Dalmatians” at an outdoor movie night at the Israel Museum. This was back in the early 1980s; in the ensuing decades, I’ve seen nearly the entire Disney canon.
What hasn’t necessarily thrilled me in recent years are all the live action re-treads of the classics. When the casting of “Snow White” was announced, some manufactured a controversy because Rachel Zegler is mixed race, not “snow white.” I’m not sure why the race of an actor is important in a fictional fairy tale.
But I do take note of the recent controversy about Zegler clashing with co-star Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen. Gadot is a proud Israeli and Zegler is anti-Israel. The reporting of this clash reveals so much of what is wrong with the reporting on the Israel-Hamas war.
Zegler and Gadot are described as being on opposite sides, as if their positions were equally valid. They’re not, primarily because Zegler has no dog in the fight while Gadot does. Gadot, 39, is Israeli, has served in the IDF and has family in Israel. Gadot is directly impacted. Zegler is a 23-year-old American from Hackensack, NJ of Colombian and Polish descent. Spot the difference?
Of course, Zegler has the right to voice her opinion. But to present the two sides as a mere difference of political views or opinions (People, AP via Denver Post) is to put them on equal footing.
It also appears that it’s Zegler who has been antagonizing Gadot (Variety). That’s not only unprofessional and disrespectful, but dangerous. As those in a “pro-Palestinian” bubble refuse to acknowledge, their anti-Israel advocacy endangers Israelis and Jews wherever they may be. Disney had to hire extra security after Zegler“free palestine” tweet (which she bundled with her tweet announcing the movie’s opening), led to death threats against Gadot.
AP’s coverage contained an additional nugget of anti-Israelism. Here’s how Jake Coyle opened the paragraph about the tensions between the actresses: “Everything from Israel’s war in Gaza . . . ” These six words contain a deliberate falsehood far more powerful than the sum of its parts. For Coyle — and the AP editor who allowed this to run — Oct. 7, 2023 never happened. Rape, murder, kidnapping of Israelis and others never happened. Hamas never fired rockets on Israel’s city centers.
For Coyle and the AP, Israel is simply waging war in Gaza. Israel is the aggressor. Israel is to blame. Anyone reading Coyle’s review is imbibing the anti-Israel narrative.
When an actor’s personal life is more talked about than the film, you know the film is in trouble. In addition to causing post-production strife, Zegler’s decision to couple her tweet announcing the film’s opening together with an anti-Israel rallying cry appears to have helped put a nail into “Snow White’s” coffin.
Shana Goldberg may be reached at shana@ijn.com
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