Lebanon’s popular fashion label, Elie Saab, faced criticism after posting a picture of Israeli actress Gal Gadot in one of their dresses. The photo showed Gadot looking stunning in a blue sash dress from the designer’s collection at the National Board of Review Awards Gala in New York. The caption on Elie Saab’s Instagram praised the actress for her flawless look in the ‘Ready-to-Wear Spring Summer 2018’ attire. The post caused an uproar online due to the long-standing conflict between Israel and Lebanon, eventually leading to its deletion.
Elie Saab, a renowned fashion brand from Lebanon, faced criticism after posting a picture of Israeli actress Gal Gadot wearing a stunning blue sash dress from its latest collection. The photo was taken while she was in New York earlier this week.
A stunning photo of 32-year-old Gadot was featured on Elie Saab’s Instagram account, showcasing the ‘perfect’ actress adorned in ‘ELIE SAAB Ready-to-Wear Spring Summer 2018’ attire.
The actress from Wonder Woman graced the National Board of Review Awards Gala in New York on Tuesday in a stunning blue sash dress designed by Elie Saab. (Image shown)
Last year, Gadot’s hit movie Wonder Woman faced a ban in Lebanese cinemas. Lebanese journalist Heba Bitar expressed her views on social media questioning if designer Elie Saab was truly happy that an Israeli actress wore one of his dresses. Another social media user criticized the posting of the dress photo, calling it unacceptable. Gadot, who spent two years serving in the Israeli army as a combat trainer, and director Patty Jenkins received the Spotlight Award for their work on Wonder Woman. Gadot faced backlash in 2014 for supporting Israeli troops during the Gaza War, which resulted in the deaths of over 2,000 Palestinians and several Israeli soldiers and civilians.
People on the internet were enraged after Elie Saab shared the photo on his Instagram page.
Gadot, who spent two years as a combat trainer in the Israeli army, along with director Patty Jenkins, received the Spotlight Award for their work on the 2017 hit movie Wonder Woman.
In a recent post, Gadot expressed her support and prayers for Israeli soldiers who are bravely defending their country from the actions of Hamas.
Lebanon, which is in a state of war with Israel, has a long-standing law that prohibits the sale of Israeli products and restricts Lebanese citizens from interacting with Israelis.
Last year, Gadot’s blockbuster film Wonder Woman was banned from being shown in Lebanese theaters. The ban was enforced by the Ministry of Economy just before the movie was set to premiere, citing Gadot’s Israeli nationality and her support for the Israeli military as reasons for the restriction.
Although Gadot has appeared in other major film franchises like Fast and Furious, her involvement in those movies did not lead to bans in Lebanon.
After winning the title of Miss Israel, Gadot fulfilled her mandatory military service before pursuing a successful acting career in Hollywood. She ultimately landed the iconic role of Wonder Woman in Batman Vs Superman.