Lebanon’s popular fashion label Elie Saab faced criticism after sharing a picture of Israeli actress Gal Gadot dressed in one of their creations. The Hollywood star was seen in a stunning blue gown by the designer at the National Board of Review Awards Gala in New York. The image of Gadot, 32, graced Elie Saab’s Instagram with praises for the actress looking ‘flawless’ in their ‘Ready-to-Wear Spring Summer 2018’ collection. Given the longstanding tensions between Israel and Lebanon, the post received swift backlash online and was eventually taken down.
The Lebanese fashion brand Elie Saab sparked controversy after posting a picture of Israeli actress Gal Gadot donning a stunning blue sash dress from their collection while in New York.
A photo of the 32-year-old actress Gadot was shared on Elie Saab’s Instagram with a caption praising her as a ‘perfect’ beauty in the ‘ELIE SAAB Ready-to-Wear Spring Summer 2018’ collection.
The actress, who plays Wonder Woman, donned a stunning blue sash gown created by fashion designer Elie Saab at the prestigious National Board of Review Awards Gala in New York City this past Tuesday.
Last year, Lebanese cinemas decided not to show Gadot’s Wonder Woman movie. This decision sparked conversation on social media, with journalist Heba Bitar questioning Elie Saab for designing a dress worn by an Israeli actress. Others also criticized the post by Saab’s team, calling it unacceptable. Gadot, a former combat trainer in the Israeli army, and director Patty Jenkins received the Spotlight Award for their work on the hit movie Wonder Woman in 2017. In the past, Gadot faced backlash for supporting Israeli troops during the Gaza War in 2014, which resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000 Palestinians and numerous Israeli soldiers and civilians.
When Elie Saab uploaded the photo on his Instagram, it caused a lot of backlash from users on the internet.
Gadot, along with director Patty Jenkins, received the Spotlight Award for their work on the hit 2017 movie Wonder Woman. Gadot, a former combat trainer in the Israeli army, recently expressed her support for Israeli soldiers defending the country against the actions of Hamas in a social media post.
Lebanon, a country officially at war with Israel, has long-standing laws that ban Israeli products and forbid Lebanese citizens from interacting with Israelis. Last year, Gadot’s film Wonder Woman was prohibited from being shown in Lebanese theaters just before its premiere. The ban was implemented due to Gadot’s Israeli nationality and her backing of the Israeli military.
Despite appearing in various Fast and Furious films, none of Gadot’s other works were forbidden in Lebanon. After winning the Miss Israel title, she completed her mandatory military service before pursuing an acting career in Hollywood. Her breakthrough role came as Wonder Woman in Batman Vs Superman.