#and that gal is not ignorant she knows what is happening and still supports israel | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

n0oble · 3 years

Text

The Pro-Israeli and anti-Arab propaganda machine is big in Hollywood, because it's big in America.

Here are two examples:

Image: poster for 2019 Netflix movie Red Sea Diving Resort, starring Chris Evans and Ben Kingsley

Example one, The Red Sea Diving Resort (2019) directed by Israeli director Gideon Raff.

The Red Sea Diving Resort frames Mossad and the CIA as bleeding hearts liberals (White Savior Cinema at its core), and seems more interested in focusing on 'amusing' spy capers than what happened to the Black Ethiopian Jews they dumped into Israel, an Apartheid state.

Israel took refugees who were largely from rural and farming communities, who couldn't speak or write Hebrew, and dumped them into an industrialised society that was new to them.

Racism and anti-Blackness is still a problem for Ethiopian Jews today.

The State of Israel also preys on these communities by giving them only one option to learn skills: the Israeli Armed Forces.

It is as bad as the American Armed Forces sending their recruitment officers into poor Black communities in America, where young Black people have little other options.

But that's the side of history these White film makers don't want you to know.

➖

Example two, Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) directed by American director Patty Jenkins

Image: poster for Warner Brothers' 2020 movie Wonder Woman 1984 starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine.

This movie, set in 1984, is simply a hot mess for several reasons.

The overt racism and anti-Arab theme throughout is impossible to ignore. As is the reframing of historical events and making up terms that don't exist: "The Oil Community" is the most ridiculous phrase in recent cinema, reframing The Middle East as peaceful if you're White, and evil if you're Arab or brown skinned.

It's the worst cartoon-like racism onscreen since True Lies (1994). WW84 is bad, bad, bad.

Not to mention Gal Gadot is openly Zionist herself and has never hidden the fact:

One major criticism of Wonder Woman 1984 was the choice for her character Diana to swing in and 'rescue' two little Arab boys playing soccer in the street, which many felt was far too similar to real life events in 2014 where Israeli rockets killed 10 Palestinian children playing soccer (and Gal Gadot shared a tone deaf post on Facebook praising Israel and using such hashtags as "love IDF" and "we are right".)

As you can see from the now deleted Facebook post she shared, Gal Gadot has a bias toward Israel. She co-wrote and starred as the lead in WW84, of course the movie has bias.

Gadot recently made more tone deaf remarks about Palestine which led to the trending hashtag "recast Wonder Woman".

➖

Chris Evans (Red Sea Diving Resort lead actor) has remained quiet on Palestine. Given that Evans has an interest in politics himself (see his website A Starting Point) it seems odd he's remained quiet on the political and humanitarian crisis many other celebrities are now speaking up on.

It does beg the question, is Chris Evans also Zionist? He did star in a Zionist ideal movie after all. 🚩

➖

As America sends the most funds and arms to Israel right now, if you're an American citizen will you please help Palestine by putting pressure on your reps.

Image text: Send the text code PTFDZN to 50409 to send a prewritten letter to your reps in support of The Palestinian Children and Families Act.

#chris evans #red sea diving resort #hollywood #gal gadot #wonder woman #wonder women 1984 #propaganda #palestine #america #racism #colorism #islamophobia #free palestine #save sheikh jarrah #israel #israeli occupation #apartheid #antiblackness

40 notes · View notes

hardcandyfilmclub · 7 years

Photo

Recently Gal Gadot tweeted that bullying is unacceptable.

Her hypocrisy is deeply wounding. The shame and blame she instilled into me after I was raped was deeply traumatizing.

Gal is more than a bully; she is a predator who enables predators.

This is my story.

Thirteen years ago, I shared an apartment with Gal Gadot for two months in Milan, Italy. Several young girls lived in the building, all under contract with the same modeling management company.

Shortly after we met, Gal invited me to share space in her room. Gal’s roommate Maya* was going back home to Israel. Maya was 15, and only spoke Hebrew.

Maya was about to leave for the airport. Her bags were packed. The expression on her face was vacant. Tears were in her eyes. It was clear she was in deep pain.

Gal calmly told me that the girl had been raped, and that the experience had put the girl in the hospital.

Gal said the girl was stupid — for going to the wrong club, and for trusting the man who brought her there. I felt sorry for Maya, but I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t speak her language. I didn’t realize that meeting her would foreshadow my future.

Gal had been in Milan for a few weeks. She said she would show me the ropes and who could be trusted. Her confident strength made me feel safe, protected, and loved in a way that I hadn’t felt before. Gal taught me to trust her. I was 18 and she was 19.

Gal told me about men who followed models around to casting calls. They were paid by clubs to convince models like us to join them at these clubs in exchange for expensive food, drinks, publicity photos, and VIP treatment. Gal told me to never trust these men, because they rape.

Gal’s previous roommate had been tricked by one of these men, and the underlying message was clear: trust Gal. I felt safe with Gal. I did not realize then how little I knew about rape, predators, and the culture that supports them.

Gal and I spent most of our free time together. We shared food, clothes, and makeup. We went to the gym. We went shopping and tanning together. We went on photo shoots together. I made her a mix CD. I sang her to sleep. I watched her smoke constantly out of the window. We shared body insecurities, and she shared sex stories. She made sure to appear confident, knowledgeable, and successful — even then. She fed me information about Israel. Whenever she discussed Palestinians, she showed deep hatred.

Gal set us up on dates with men who expected sex in exchange for the lavish meals they fed us, although we never slept with them. She would pick smaller men, and threaten them after dinner. They complained and she chased them off with more threats. She would laugh about it later. She used sex as a weapon.

Several weeks into my stay, she took me to meet her Israeli friends including her best friend Ayala*. Ayala and her boyfriend Yaniv seemed very close. He appeared to dote on her, and they seemed very much in love.

Gal, Ayala, Yaniv and I went out each weekend, sometimes with other friends. The four of us quickly became a core group. We went to clubs to spend time in the spaces reserved for celebrities.

Hidden behind the historic exteriors of Milan’s ancient architecture were sensory-overwhelming nightclubs, decked out like palaces. These places were teeming with swarms of people feeding off of manufactured prestige. I was a sheltered child from a small town, and was utterly unprepared for the dark side of the modeling and nightlife industries.

A short time later, Gal and I spent a weekend at Yaniv and Ayala’s room inside another shared apartment. Gal and I shared a pull out couch while Yaniv and Ayala slept in their bed. The room was close and intimate. We spent the evening laughing, watching movies, smoking, and drinking. Yaniv commented on how I could not hold my alcohol, fully aware I had no experience getting drunk.

A week later, Ayala left for a modeling gig in Greece while Gal was in Ireland for a weekend shoot. Yaniv invited me out to dinner alone. Over dinner, we talked about our significant others, his travel around the world, and his time in the Israeli Defense Forces. I didn’t realize that his intentions were anything other than honorable. After dinner, his friend invited us to a new club.

Yaniv asked if I had ever drank wine, knowing I had not. He bought me several drinks with dinner while telling me that I needed to try different varieties. It’s hard for me to remember what happened after that. I assume he drugged me.

To this day, I have never been inebriated in that particular way, especially after only drinking wine. I was in and out of consciousness, and my body felt limp. I kept falling over. My brain felt like it was shutting down. Yaniv called his roommate Ofir to help carry me home. I couldn’t walk. I was dead weight. I remember odd pieces, like him repeatedly asking me in a sick, almost playfully malicious tone of voice if I thought I was smart.

I remember thinking that we were going home so that I would sleep on the couch, as Gal and I had before. I woke up in Yaniv’s bed, naked. He had removed my clothes when I was unconscious. I remember him climbing on top of me. I could just barely say “no”, and “this isn’t right”. Then I blacked out.

I woke up again while he continued raping me. He was restraining my arms so I couldn’t move. It was violent. There was pain. I will never forget how he looked in that dark room. I will never forget the absolute panic I felt. It was terror. I thought he would kill me next. His rape was full of hate. He did not look at me.

I woke up the next morning, groggy and delirious. I asked Yaniv what happened. I wanted to hear him say it.

“We had sex,” he said, and shrugged. “I thought you knew.”

“I told you no,” I said, quietly.

“You told me no but your body told me yes,” he said. That line still haunts my mind, 13 years later.

I couldn’t get out of his bed, even though I wanted to leave. I was physically sick; not only still intoxicated from the aftereffects of whatever I consumed, but also bruised, shocked, and traumatized. As I lay in his bed, I listened to Yaniv call a friend and brag about having sex with an 18 year old. His conquest; an accomplishment; a notch on his belt.

He told me that no one could know, because Ayala would be too hurt. Soon, he began ignoring me.

I was disoriented and traumatized. I had absolutely no context to process what had happened. I had no sex education, and certainly no understanding of predators or the culture that supports them. I had been taught a woman should be a virgin until marriage.

I thought sex was about love. What I experienced from him was not love. It was hate and disgust. I didn’t have the language to call this rape. Rape was something to fear from strangers while walking alone down the street. Rape was not committed by a friend.

I thought he was my friend.

I was used, discarded, and alone.

Almost alone. At least I had Gal, I thought. She came home two days later. She knew something had happened by looking at me. I wonder if I reminded her of her previously raped roommate.

Gal immediately began interrogating me. I could see no compassion in her eyes. I told Gal something had happened between Yaniv and I.

She took me down to the basement. It was cold, mechanical, and frightening. We were alone. Then her anger exploded.

She stood over me, intimidating and loud, blaming me for what happened. Her eyes were fire. I had already felt small and violated, but she shamed me into feeling obsolete. I felt extremely dirty. Already in shock, I disassociated from my body. I can’t remember most of her words. I remember being in utter terror of her anger.

She was furious for Ayala and “what I had done to her”. Gal pointed her finger in my face like a weapon. She asked me how I could do this, and that I needed to make this up to Ayala. She made me feel ashamed, that the whole event had been my fault, and that I had brought it upon myself by being so naïve.

After that, I feared Gal. I spent nights out as long as I could, hoping to avoid her. When I did see Gal, she would speak of nothing other than her conviction that I needed to speak with or write to Ayala. She would not let up. She was obsessed. There was absolutely no understanding from her. I don’t know how she could not have seen how the rape changed me. I was no longer the same person.

On my last night in Milan, Gal made one final attempt to get me to submit to her demands. She brought me downstairs to a computer. Gal put her hands on me and forced me into the chair. She made me open my email account and write Ayala’s address in the address bar.

Standing behind me and above me, Gal held my shoulders down with a terrible pressure, preventing me from escape. She attempted to dictate what she called my “confession and apology”. I could not do it. I was crying, and my head seemed to break apart. My heart felt like it was bleeding out. My stomach was in awful knots. I began disassociating from my body. I could not speak. I could not write her lies.

She referred to the rape as “your mistake”.

After what felt like several hours, Gal eventually gave up in disgust. It was late at night. She made me promise I would write the letter to Ayala. I never wrote the letter.

I returned home confused, silent, and ashamed. Later Gal returned to Israel for her military training. I ended my modeling career as another young woman assaulted, used, and disposed by the industry and its enablers. I did not think I would ever see Gal again.

When I was getting my degree in Women’s and Gender Studies, Gal showed up on Maxim in a bikini and heels, the cover girl of their issue on the women of the Israeli Defense Forces.

When I saw her face, I had an immense panic attack. I had no idea how much she would upset me. My rape came flashing back. I could feel Gal’s hands pushing on my shoulders. My throat closed up and my heart raced. The nightmares continued to haunt me every night.

After I graduated, I worked as the director of the sexual assault services program back in my hometown. I spent many years helping survivors to validate their experiences and process emotions, yet I still deeply struggled with my own.

Yaniv Nahoum is responsible for drugging and raping me. That was not Gal’s fault. But her confidence and her power in blaming me opened up a part of my brain, and filled me with an all-consuming shame. I can still feel the pressure of her hands pushing down on me.

The trust she built with me was a gateway to my total devastation.

Predators gain trust in order to exploit it for their advantage.

Gal has succeeded in a predatory industry because she is a predator. She is unafraid to destroy others in pursuit of her ambitions. Like any strong predator, she knows how to target, destroy, and consume the weakest and most vulnerable.

Highly skilled predators in our society manage to land roles where they cultivate public trust.

Bill Cosby put on a sweater and built trust as a Huxtable.

Gal Gadot put on a breastplate and became an icon for women.

A predator in a costume is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

When Gal Gadot says that she supports sexual assault survivors, do not believe it. Her actions speak louder than words.

*not her real name

#since it got deleted from op and the site #I thought I'd get it saved for posterity #gal gadot #TO FUCKING CLARIFY. YOU LOSERS IN MY ASKBOX. I DID NOT WRITE THIS. IT'S NOT MY ACCOUNT #I AM SHARING IT #BECAUSE IT WAS DELETED AND THAT'S SHADY AF

23 notes · View notes

houseofpinkboombox · 7 years

Text

So this story about Gal’s roommate being raped and Gal balming her for it is being pulled all over the internet.

So here it is. “Thirteen years ago, I shared an apartment with Gal Gadot for two months in Milan, Italy. Several young girls lived in the building, all under contract with the same modeling management company. Shortly after we met, Gal invited me to share space in her room. Gal’s roommate Maya* was going back home to Israel. Maya was 15, and only spoke Hebrew. Maya was about to leave for the airport. Her bags were packed. The expression on her face was vacant. Tears were in her eyes. It was clear she was in deep pain. Gal calmly told me that the girl had been raped, and that the experience had put the girl in the hospital. Gal said the girl was stupid — for going to the wrong club, and for trusting the man who brought her there. I felt sorry for Maya, but I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t speak her language. I didn’t realize that meeting her would foreshadow my future. Gal had been in Milan for a few weeks. She said she would show me the ropes and who could be trusted. Her confident strength made me feel safe, protected, and loved in a way that I hadn’t felt before. Gal taught me to trust her. I was 18 and she was 19. Gal told me about men who followed models around to casting calls. They were paid by clubs to convince models like us to join them at these clubs in exchange for expensive food, drinks, publicity photos, and VIP treatment. Gal told me to never trust these men, because they rape. Gal’s previous roommate had been tricked by one of these men, and the underlying message was clear: trust Gal. I felt safe with Gal. I did not realize then how little I knew about rape, predators, and the culture that supports them. Gal and I spent most of our free time together. We shared food, clothes, and makeup. We went to the gym. We went shopping and tanning together. We went on photo shoots together. I made her a mix CD. I sang her to sleep. I watched her smoke constantly out of the window. We shared body insecurities, and she shared sex stories. She made sure to appear confident, knowledgeable, and successful — even then. She fed me information about Israel. Whenever she discussed Palestinians, she showed deep hatred. Gal set us up on dates with men who expected sex in exchange for the lavish meals they fed us, although we never slept with them. She would pick smaller men, and threaten them after dinner. They complained and she chased them off with more threats. She would laugh about it later. She used sex as a weapon. Several weeks into my stay, she took me to meet her Israeli friends including her best friend Ayala*. Ayala and her boyfriend Yaniv seemed very close. He appeared to dote on her, and they seemed very much in love. Gal, Ayala, Yaniv and I went out each weekend, sometimes with other friends. The four of us quickly became a core group. We went to clubs to spend time in the spaces reserved for celebrities. Hidden behind the historic exteriors of Milan’s ancient architecture were sensory-overwhelming nightclubs, decked out like palaces. These places were teeming with swarms of people feeding off of manufactured prestige. I was a sheltered child from a small town, and was utterly unprepared for the dark side of the modeling and nightlife industries. A short time later, Gal and I spent a weekend at Yaniv and Ayala’s room inside another shared apartment. Gal and I shared a pull out couch while Yaniv and Ayala slept in their bed. The room was close and intimate. We spent the evening laughing, watching movies, smoking, and drinking. Yaniv commented on how I could not hold my alcohol, fully aware I had no experience getting drunk. A week later, Ayala left for a modeling gig in Greece while Gal was in Ireland for a weekend shoot. Yaniv invited me out to dinner alone. Over dinner, we talked about our significant others, his travel around the world, and his time in the Israeli Defense Forces. I didn’t realize that his intentions were anything other than honorable. After dinner, his friend invited us to a new club. Yaniv asked if I had ever drank wine, knowing I had not. He bought me several drinks with dinner while telling me that I needed to try different varieties. It’s hard for me to remember what happened after that. I assume he drugged me. To this day, I have never been inebriated in that particular way, especially after only drinking wine. I was in and out of consciousness, and my body felt limp. I kept falling over. My brain felt like it was shutting down. Yaniv called his roommate Ofir to help carry me home. I couldn’t walk. I was dead weight. I remember odd pieces, like him repeatedly asking me in a sick, almost playfully malicious tone of voice if I thought I was smart. I remember thinking that we were going home so that I would sleep on the couch, as Gal and I had before. I woke up in Yaniv’s bed, naked. He had removed my clothes when I was unconscious. I remember him climbing on top of me. I could just barely say “no”, and “this isn’t right”. Then I blacked out. I woke up again while he continued raping me. He was restraining my arms so I couldn’t move. It was violent. There was pain. I will never forget how he looked in that dark room. I will never forget the absolute panic I felt. It was terror. I thought he would kill me next. His rape was full of hate. He did not look at me. I woke up the next morning, groggy and delirious. I asked Yaniv what happened. I wanted to hear him say it. “We had sex,” he said, and shrugged. “I thought you knew.” “I told you no,” I said, quietly. “You told me no but your body told me yes,” he said. That line still haunts my mind, 13 years later. I couldn’t get out of his bed, even though I wanted to leave. I was physically sick; not only still intoxicated from the aftereffects of whatever I consumed, but also bruised, shocked, and traumatized. As I lay in his bed, I listened to Yaniv call a friend and brag about having sex with an 18 year old. His conquest; an accomplishment; a notch on his belt. He told me that no one could know, because Ayala would be too hurt. Soon, he began ignoring me. I was disoriented and traumatized. I had absolutely no context to process what had happened. I had no sex education, and certainly no understanding of predators or the culture that supports them. I had been taught a woman should be a virgin until marriage. I thought sex was about love. What I experienced from him was not love. It was hate and disgust. I didn’t have the language to call this rape. Rape was something to fear from strangers while walking alone down the street. Rape was not committed by a friend. I thought he was my friend. I was used, discarded, and alone. Almost alone. At least I had Gal, I thought. She came home two days later. She knew something had happened by looking at me. I wonder if I reminded her of her previously raped roommate. Gal immediately began interrogating me. I could see no compassion in her eyes. I told Gal something had happened between Yaniv and I. She took me down to the basement. It was cold, mechanical, and frightening. We were alone. Then her anger exploded. She stood over me, intimidating and loud, blaming me for what happened. Her eyes were fire. I had already felt small and violated, but she shamed me into feeling obsolete. I felt extremely dirty. Already in shock, I disassociated from my body. I can’t remember most of her words. I remember being in utter terror of her anger. She was furious for Ayala and “what I had done to her”. Gal pointed her finger in my face like a weapon. She asked me how I could do this, and that I needed to make this up to Ayala. She made me feel ashamed, that the whole event had been my fault, and that I had brought it upon myself by being so naïve. After that, I feared Gal. I spent nights out as long as I could, hoping to avoid her. When I did see Gal, she would speak of nothing other than her conviction that I needed to speak with or write to Ayala. She would not let up. She was obsessed. There was absolutely no understanding from her. I don’t know how she could not have seen how the rape changed me. I was no longer the same person. On my last night in Milan, Gal made one final attempt to get me to submit to her demands. She brought me downstairs to a computer. Gal put her hands on me and forced me into the chair. She made me open my email account and write Ayala’s address in the address bar. Standing behind me and above me, Gal held my shoulders down with a terrible pressure, preventing me from escape. She attempted to dictate what she called my “confession and apology”. I could not do it. I was crying, and my head seemed to break apart. My heart felt like it was bleeding out. My stomach was in awful knots. I began disassociating from my body. I could not speak. I could not write her lies. She referred to the rape as “your mistake”. After what felt like several hours, Gal eventually gave up in disgust. It was late at night. She made me promise I would write the letter to Ayala. I never wrote the letter. I returned home confused, silent, and ashamed. Later Gal returned to Israel for her military training. I ended my modeling career as another young woman assaulted, used, and disposed by the industry and its enablers. I did not think I would ever see Gal again. When I was getting my degree in Women’s and Gender Studies, Gal showed up on Maxim in a bikini and heels, the cover girl of their issue on the women of the Israeli Defense Forces. When I saw her face, I had an immense panic attack. I had no idea how much she would upset me. My rape came flashing back. I could feel Gal’s hands pushing on my shoulders. My throat closed up and my heart raced. The nightmares continued to haunt me every night. After I graduated, I worked as the director of the sexual assault services program back in my hometown. I spent many years helping survivors to validate their experiences and process emotions, yet I still deeply struggled with my own. Yaniv Nahoum is responsible for drugging and raping me. That was not Gal’s fault. But her confidence and her power in blaming me opened up a part of my brain, and filled me with an all-consuming shame. I can still feel the pressure of her hands pushing down on me. The trust she built with me was a gateway to my total devastation. Predators gain trust in order to exploit it for their advantage. Gal has succeeded in a predatory industry because she is a predator. She is unafraid to destroy others in pursuit of her ambitions. Like any strong predator, she knows how to target, destroy, and consume the weakest and most vulnerable. Highly skilled predators in our society manage to land roles where they cultivate public trust. Bill Cosby put on a sweater and built trust as a Huxtable. Gal Gadot put on a breastplate and became an icon for women. A predator in a costume is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. When Gal Gadot says that she supports sexual assault survivors, do not believe it. Her actions speak louder than words.

#gal gadot #tw rape

3 notes · View notes

clarabosswald · 7 years

Note

I was wondering what your opinion on the whole gal gadot / Wonder Woman debate is? you totally don't have to answer I was just curious since you're Israeli, and I'm ignorant when it comes to that topic tbh, so I don't know which side to believe

it’s complicated.there are two main issues i’m aware of, and i’m gonna try to reply to both of them:

1. gal having served in the idf - this is the one that’s the easiest to reply to. military service is mandatory in israel (there are very few exceptions - for instance, arab israelis don’t have to serve, and people with medical/mental disabilities don’t either - which is why i didn’t/don’t serve but do national service instead - but many people volunteer to serve anyway). the overwhelming majority of people who serve in the army don’t do anything that involves shooting at people. most of it is boring administrative work (israeli movie zero motivation illustrates that very accurately). gal was never involved in any fighting, she served because that’s the law here.2. gal being proud and supportive of idf - that’s the one that’s the most controversial. and the hardest to explain.since military service is mandatory by law here, over the years it became a huge HUGE social taboo thing to speak against idf - because everyone’s served there, everyone’s family members and friends did, there’s this whole “these soldiers are our collective children” mentality going on in the israeli society. that’s why issues like the elor azaria incident cause such a HUGE, massive, seriously unexplainable rift/aggressive and passionate discussion in the israeli society - with the words “elor is everyone’s kid” being thrown around often. and outsiders have a really hard time understanding this because most countries don’t have mandatory service. i imagine when most of you imagine soldiers you imagine some egotistical jocks hell bent on showing the world how manly they are, or some shit. in israel, the word “soldier” is associated with 18 year old boys and girls, fresh out of high school, thrown into a never ending war because it’s the civil duty to do so.and that mentality is as deeply ingrained in gal as it is in most israelis. when she said she supports idf, i’m nearly 100% certain that what she had in mind is those 18 year olds who are everyone’s children. not some adrenaline junkies who want to shoot up people, which is again is what i imagine soldiers are perceived as in other countries. as for my personal viewpoint? idf does shitty things. idf killed many, many innocent civilians. still does. i’m on the “elor azaria is a murderer” side of that specific issue. my opinions are highly unpopular in the current social climate in israel, but they are what they are and i stand by them.BUT.my highschool friends all went to the military (most still haven’t finished their service). my brother is in the military still, he’s doing an extended program which involves academic studies - he basically does HR/social work. none of them have ever killed anyone. they’re just doing their civil duty, because they have to by law.ALSO.the internet - and specifically, the social justice part of it - is super, super, SUPER biased against israel. because palestinians have harnessed one power they have and are using it to max effect - social media. and god knows israel’s dumb military leaders have given them TONS of ammunition against israel in the form of unnecessary civil killings and destruction. there’s nothing more powerful than that to turn the international opinion against israel. and that indeed happened. and honestly? quite rightfully so. our leadership is crap, talk of peace have felt hollow for years, they’re trying to maintain a status quo that is only dragging all of us further down into conflict hell. and one of the people who get hurt the most from that are idf soldiers who, by law, have to follow those stupid political decisions and pay the price.and thus “outsiders” attack israeli soldiers and citizens instead of our catastrophic military and political “leadership”. and thus people turn their eyes away from the crimes the palestinians do in this conflict, since they’re the underdogs.so i’m gonna try to tl;dr thatgal doesn’t actively or knowingly support the wrongdoings that the palestinians are going through by expressing her support of idf. she just supports israeli youth, who’s going through some hard shit. who have to spend days and nights away from home, and whose families miss and worry sick about. that’s 99% of what idf means to israeli people. that’s the mental conditioning in the israeli society. and it’s hard to explain to outsiders.

#i hope i managed to make that clear enough???#funny thing i keep thinking about #in israel my political views are super leftist #but on tumblr and other international social media #i always feel like i'm really on the right wing of things #because of the hyperfocus the palestinians get #it's an odd feeling #Anonymous #asks

197 notes · View notes

pocinperioddramas · 7 years

Note

Haha whoops, I forgot to say that if you want sources for any of the stuff I mentioned I can track them down for you - the comments were just way too long already. (Thanks again for the thoughtful, civil conversation. I'm trying to find a non-patronizing-sounding way to say I was nowhere near as mature and self-aware as you in high school and I can't, but I swear I don't mean it that way, I just admire that. It took me way longer and I'm not even sure I'm there yet.)

So to start with I’m glad you’ve put so much thought into this. I personally as kind of uncomfortable bringing it up, as I *know* I’m not super well-informed on Israel, but I didn’t feel I could say nothing. With that knowledge in mind, I tentatively support a two-state solution - I’m not sure whether it’s relevant if it could *realistically* happen without further bloodshed - if it TECHNICALLY could, that’s probably what matters. (I’m maybe not expressing myself well - it’s like how a lot of things in Canada/USA which are technically possible are realistically less possible because of conservative obstruction, but we still aim for them.) Or even just… LESS bloodshed then right now.

There’s a post going around that GG posted on fb that’s getting a lot of flak, but the actual post specifically condemns Hamas, not Palestine, and her statements in the post support coexistence - and, yes, young IDF soldiers, but military service is compulsory in Israel - I know I feel for any young people drafted or convinced into combat. Like - it’s still okay to have an issue with her support of the military (although, like I said, her service wasn’t a choice and she wasn’t in combat), but a lot of the problem I think is that her service in/support of the Israeli military is being scrutinized and condemned, while celebrities like, say, Adam Driver, who supports the American military HARDCORE, like, complete with fundraising and stuff, go completely unscrutinized and uncondemed despite the US military’s own horrible track record/activities.

Last thing I think - it’s been my understanding that the creation of Israel created so many problems due to mistakes/racism/anti-Semitism by Western powers, and not Israelis or Jewish people in general. I don’t know how accurate that is - but it complicates the idea of Israel as ‘colonialist.’ (Although obviously the affect on Palestine has been… unjustly detrimental, to put it obscenely mildly.) I’d feel way more comfortable letting a Jewish person speak on this.

I know you’re looking for a mod - have you considered looking for a Jewish perspective, not specifically, but maybe as a desirable thing? Erm. Sorry for length, I didn’t intend for that number of replies. Thanks again for giving this so much thought. (VERY different experience from the last time I sent a blog I like a message like that tbh.)

Hello again, thanks for all your replies! :) I will respond to all of them here, by the way, for easier reading and so there will be not too many replies in that one post alone.

I understand your point about a realistic solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict not being that relevant as of now, as that wouldn’t be very easy especially if there is still obstruction from self-interested parties, and you make a fair parallel to the situation there in Canada and the US. So yes, at the very least, less bloodshed than before would be something to aim for, which will hopefully eventually lead to the war’s end and full peace at last.

I saw a screenshot of that post - that was the very post for which people began truly disliking and condemning Gal for since it’s so explicit in its support of IDF. She brings up Hamas in that post - but Hamas can be interpreted as either a fundamentalist group of terrorists or a grassroots organization of freedom fighters, depending on your views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict/war in Gaza. To be honest, I don’t know what my stance on Hamas is yet, as I’ve read contradicting information about the group and I don’t know what to believe as of now. But there is apparently one falsehood that Gal perpetuates about Hamas in that post, whether or not you believe them to be terrorists or noble freedom fighters - she says that Hamas is using Palestinian women and children as human shields, something which has apparently already been disproven by a number of major news organizations (see here and here for more information).

Here’s an important quote from the 2nd article I linked that I find relevant:

“Speaking up for the Palestinians does not mean you are supporting Hamas or even are anti-Israel. It is just impossible to ignore the facts. In this so-called “war” there are way more people dying on one side than the other. And most of the people dying are civilians. Not only that, but hospitals and schools are in the cross-hairs, too. Yes, any nation reserves the right to defend itself. But is this really self defense or a variation of Florida’s barbarian “Stand Your Ground” laws played out on a global scale?

The other thing that bothers me about Gadot’s stance on the conflict is one of the hashtags she uses: #weareright. That hashtag is buttressed by other, more palatable ones like #freegazafromhamas and #coexistance (sp), but it still oozes with the kind of nationalism that leads to the kind of escalation that will ultimately make everything worse for both sides.

Here’s the thing. When you have hundreds of people — most of whom are women and children — dead and hospitals and schools destroyed, no one is right. War is terrible and awful. Not a spectator sport. Supporting one’s country does not mean you have to also support what that country is doing, especially when so much death and destruction is the direct result of those actions.

The fact that Gadot will be the real life embodiment of Wonder Woman for generations to come is what makes this all so ironic. Maybe not as ironic as casting, say, Ted Nugent as Batman, but still. Wonder Woman is supposed to be an ambassador of peace. Of course, she’s also an Amazon warrior who isn’t afraid to take up the sword against evil, but Diana of Themyscira only goes to war for those who cannot fight for themselves.

Is it possible that, were Wonder Woman real, her view of the conflict in Gaza would be filled with more compassion for the oppressed? Isn’t that the kind of justice that a character like Wonder Woman is supposed to inspire?”

As the quote points out, even though she says she supports coexistence in her hashtags, she uses the hashtags #weareright and #loveidf at the same time. I am aware of her history as a soldier serving in the IDF and I’m also aware that in Israel, serving in their military is compulsory, so I do not really condemn her for that. But the fact is that she remains an active supporter of IDF when she doesn’t have to be, because as far as I know, it isn’t compulsory for Israeli citizens to actively show their support and love for the IDF like through social media (unless it is, so please correct me if I’m wrong there - because I don’t know enough about Israeli laws and policies on that front). After her service in the military, she could have just remained quiet and not necessarily have been so public about her support of the IDF (but then that might have been a whole other can of worms as she would be condemned for her silence on the issue, for it could be viewed as being still complicit in the oppression due to her not speaking out on it).

I didn’t know about Adam Driver (who, like Gal, also served in his country’s military, although this time it wasn’t compulsory and thus it is less understandable and he actually served in combat too from what I’ve researched now), and in that area, I think you’re right. That is a troubling phenomenon, and thank you for pointing that out. I first knew of him through “Star Wars”, but I didn’t care much about him (and still don’t) because I like the lead actors - Daisy, John, and Oscar (whose character is not really a main protagonist as of now but Poe is more important to me than Kylo Ren anyway) - much better, and he really didn’t stand out as anything special to me although I suppose he was a good actor too. That’s the thing with US-centrism (and West-centrism in general) - these Americans think their country is too good and progressive to be oppressive to other nations and countries. And in this situation, I do think that it’s more likely than not a case of implicit anti-Semitism (and perhaps even a little sexism) and so-called liberals feeling high and mighty about themselves because they condemn one form of oppression perpetuated by a non-Western country while ignoring the oppression perpetuated by their own country.

I will tread more carefully now where Adam Driver is concerned, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I will boycott “The Last Jedi” and Episode IX. I have never had plans to watch any of his other movies and TV shows (and this just solidifies my stance to not watch them at all), especially ones in which he is the main character, and while he has a significant role in the sequel trilogy, the movies have been more focused on at least Daisy and John (and now Oscar and Kelly) and that is what I’m focusing on too. But I understand that would be a problematic stance to take, as it reminds me of the time people urged others not to boycott “Suicide Squad” so as to show support for the relatively unknown actors of color there for whom these people were afraid that their careers would end and be wasted if SS was a financial flop and the time people also urged others not to boycott “The Get Down” so as to also show support for the relatively unknown actors of color (mainly black, Latinx, and Afro-Latinx) who still deserved it despite people’s legitimate concerns about Jared Leto’s creepy behavior and the allegations of sexual harassment/assault against him and the issue of Herizen Guardiola being a child predator. Rest assured, I will think on that and reevaluate my stances, and I totally understand people who will not watch or who will boycott “Star Wars” due to Adam Driver’s presence and I will not condemn them for that.

For your last point, while that may have been the case at the beginning and that may be somewhat understandable (and I’m not fully convinced), that doesn’t account for all the atrocities that Israel has committed against Palestinians, especially at present. I doubt all of the cruelties they inflicted were a result of mistakes or US anti-Semitism - it’s far too many to all have been the product of mistakes, and they are still doing it now so yeah :/ However, I do understand that Israel owes a lot to US support and the US should be called out as vocally for its continued support for Israel, but there’s a line from this article which I linked to before in my previous response that I think we should consider: “Israel is an extension of US imperialism, doing its dirty work of intimidating regional enemies with periodic military aggression and a rogue nuclear arsenal. The US has no special interest in oppressing the Palestinians, but they are powerless enough to be expendable in the Great Power game.”

It may not be the best parallel to make, but this kind of reminds me (not specifically referring to you or anyone else, sorry if it comes off that way) of our current situation in the Philippines - how our president, Rodrigo Duterte, tries to deflect US criticism of his bloody war on drugs and the thousands of extrajudicial killings and murders that have happened in the course of this war by retorting with call-outs of US imperialism and colonialism in the Philippines in the past (although US imperialism still definitely affects our country at present, but Duterte usually cites things like atrocities committed by the Americans during the Philippine-American War and the American colonial period). Duterte’s call-outs are valid in that the US is still messing us up well into the present and they’ve never really apologized, and the US needs to acknowledge that too, but two wrongs do not make a right. Besides, there are plenty of Filipinos who criticize Duterte and his policies too, so that doesn’t mean all criticism of him is automatically invalid (which it’s still not, even from the US or Americans) because most of it (actually, from what I have seen, Filipinos are the most vocal) comes from the US. (And yes, for those who are curious, I am mainly anti-Duterte [but that doesn’t mean I oppose all his policies, for some do make sense, but in general, he has a terrible track record especially when it comes to actually serving his people as it seems he’s actually killing off a lot of them and violating their human rights as well] - though that doesn’t make me a yellowt*rd or a supporter of the Liberal Party/P-Noy/the Aquinos and the Cojuangcos as many Duterte fans are so fond of making false dichotomies - so if there are Filipino followers out there whom we call DDS (die-hard Duterte supporters), you can unfollow me.)

But it is in no way the fault of Jewish people in general at all - only the fault of the Israeli government, the IDF, and the people who actively continue to support them. Not all Jewish people are Israeli and there are in fact plenty of Jewish people who are anti-Israel (I’ve found more websites now like the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network and Jewish Voice for Peace), so if anyone is blaming them for what is happening in Israel and Palestine right now, they can sit their anti-Semitic asses down and shut up.

I think we could also consider that Zionism may be to Jewish people as the Q word is to LGBT+ people and the N word is to black people - it may be an inherently flawed ideology that is only theirs to reclaim and call out if necessary, so as I said before, this means we should be more careful when it comes to using the different terms involved in this issue.

Finally, for the mod/admin thing, I am considering it - that’s actually a good idea. Preferably Jewish people of color would be good, but if there are white Jewish people who wish to join and contribute to this blog, I will consider them. I will be editing my PSAs about admin applications soon in that case, but that isn’t final yet.

Also, I understand that there are people who do tend to respond to criticism like that aggressively, and while there are some situations - depending on the issues being criticized - where that’s an okay way to go, it doesn’t always help.

And yes, sources would be good too, so thank you in advance :) Thank you for that too - I’m rather flattered. I do think I could be even more mature as I don’t consider myself that mature yet, like if you knew me personally, but thank you anyway :) I hope I was able to make more clarifications too, and that we understand each other.

-Admin Dawn

#theserpentsadvocate #answered ask

1 note · View note

shtickysituations · 7 years

Text

Blind Hatred + Blind Hatred= White Noise

OOOOOH it’s a loaded one.

There’s been something building deep inside of me over the past few weeks. And it’s not just gas.

One of the reasons I fell in love with comedy, many years ago, was the diversity of its artists and how this distinct group of people with such different experiences, were able to embrace one another and lift each other up because of their shared plights, quirks and obvious passion for laughter.

And although an area, originally, dominated by straight white men (like most occupations), it’s been part of my experience, that the community has worked (and continues to work) incredibly hard to create spaces for women, people of colour and the LGBTQ community who have been so unfairly discriminated against in the past.

But what if you’re just a woman? What if you’re also Jewish? Did you just get uncomfortable? Did you squirm a little in your seat? Do you also have gas?

Trust me when I say I understand there is a spectrum of discrimination. I understand that my experience as a woman of an (in)visible minority, being discriminated against is nowhere the same as, let’s say, a lesbian of Korean descent. But does that mean I’m not a feminist? Or that I can’t push for or support gender equality? Do I need to be reminded daily that any suffering or discrimination I may have endured is nullified because it’s, in theory, still a privileged perspective? I’m not sure.

Now what about being Jewish? Regardless of whether or not you “like” Jewish people (because an entire religion, worldwide, is the exact same, right?). You must admit we’ve had a rough go of it. Let me put it this way, we’re not a diaspora because we’re well travelled- we’ve been driven out of nearly every country we’ve ever settled in, including (but not limited to!) Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Turkey and parts of North Africa right before World War II (did they leave that out of your history textbook?).

And then, we were given Israel by the UN (which everyone likes to forget- WOOPS!). Understandably, colonialism in the late forties is not so easily digestible. But why, then, is exodus? And why would the UN have given the Jewish people this piece of land you can barely find on a map without seven magnifying glasses? Regardless, is it the direct and complete fault of the Jewish people? Swish a bourbon whilst contemplating that s’il te plait.

By the same token, I understand that due to the continual tension in Israel and subsequent violence that has persisted back and forth for nearly 70 years, I can’t possibly agree with everything that goes on, politically speaking. However, I don’t think you can say you agree with all of the political happenings in nearly every other country on earth. LOOK AT VENEZUELA RIGHT NOW. Look at what’s happening in Egypt to the Coptic Egyptians, look what’s going on in SYRIA, The Ukraine, The CONGO, even the UK. Half the bloody world is saturated in religious conflict, strife and genocide. It’s despicable.

And yet, we continually peel and gripe and pry at Israel (not to say there is never important news, but COME THE FUCK ON). Regardless of the fact that every other religion or subsect of religion acts as a state religion, including: Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Anglicanism, Calvinism, Methodism (METHODISM!!!!), Islam, Sunni Islam, Shia Islam, Ibadi Islam, Theravada Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism.

Can’t everyone just live in peace? Or at least strive for it amongst our friends here in North America? And can’t everyone have some compassion? Try to want to humanize the other side? Understand your neighbour? At this point both sides have been hurt so badly that there should almost be a sense of camaraderie amongst the displacement, grieving and fear (how fucking sad is that?). And if you’ve ever been to Israel (which majority of people with very strong oppositional feelings towards Israel haven’t), you’d know most people are desperate for a two-state solution. They just want the war to end. But if you’re living in North America with a penchant for Leftist newspapers and the ability to believe what you want (the media will provide it), your main concern these days is whether or not Gal Gadot is a good role model as Wonder Woman because she’s a Zionist.

Isn’t that the exact same thing as those wackos who were angry about the possibility of James Bond being black (*gets engorged thinking of Idris Elba as Bond*)? Or the psychos who harassed Ellen Degeneres or Rosie O’Donnell for coming out on their shows? You may not think it’s the same but it is. It’s prejudice rooted in ignorance and steeped in systemic hatred. Hatred for someone who is, believes in, or stands for something you don’t fully understand, support or respect. Gal Gadot never said she believes in war or in the pain and suffering of people who deny that Israel should be a Jewish state. She simply, like me, does believe that Israel belongs to the Jewish people. That after being driven out of every state we’ve occupied of another (and every other) religion, and suffering a terrible genocide, we were …let’s say, eligible for a state of our own, as verified by the United Nations. Hey, originally, it was gonna be Uganda or Newfoundland. Imagine that?

My point is (and there is one!) that there can’t be so much hatred being dealt with combatted with hatred. There can’t be so much picketing (verbal or otherwise) against discriminations of certain denominations and then actually discriminate against others- even if that is “the white man”. Not to say, as Ms. Trudeau would, to hold their hands, but, perhaps, we should spend more time educating, reading a variety of perspectives, listening and approaching people and their experiences with compassion, instead of assumptions, touting continual hatred, pointing fingers and blame on those who are only guilty by virtue of being born into a more privileged position or, what we assume to be more privileged.

What this world needs now is love sweet love, so stop being such proper dickheads. Negative energy, anger and hatred is draining. Let’s spend more time asking questions, having conversations, thinking before speaking/posting and remembering that we all have more in common than you think. We all want our future to be filled with acceptance, not newfound hatred, and need to understand that hatred is hatred plain and simple, regardless of its impetus. Oh and also Jews are 0.08% of the entire global population. How the HECK are we supposed to run shit?

#judaism #wonderwoman #galgadot #antisemitism #antizionism #zionism #love #comedy #world #support #hatred #discrimination #blog #humour #tuesday #tuesdaytips

1 note · View note

heyalexturner · 6 years

Note

HEY how's gal a predatory rape apologist? i dislike her for she's pro palestinian genocide but i've never heard of this.....

One of her friends posted an article about how Gal had shamed and bullied her when she got raped. She had posted it on Medium but it got deleted for some reason. I don't know her name but here's the deleted article: Recently Gal Gadot tweeted that bullying is unacceptable.Her hypocrisy is deeply wounding. The shame and blame she instilled into me after I was raped was deeply traumatizing.Gal is more than a bully; she is a predator who enables predators.This is my story.Thirteen years ago, I shared an apartment with Gal Gadot for two months in Milan, Italy. Several young girls lived in the building, all under contract with the same modeling management company.Shortly after we met, Gal invited me to share space in her room. Gal’s roommate Maya* was going back home to Israel. Maya was 15, and only spoke Hebrew.Maya was about to leave for the airport. Her bags were packed. The expression on her face was vacant. Tears were in her eyes. It was clear she was in deep pain.Gal calmly told me that the girl had been raped, and that the experience had put the girl in the hospital.Gal said the girl was stupid — for going to the wrong club, and for trusting the man who brought her there. I felt sorry for Maya, but I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t speak her language. I didn’t realize that meeting her would foreshadow my future.Gal had been in Milan for a few weeks. She said she would show me the ropes and who could be trusted. Her confident strength made me feel safe, protected, and loved in a way that I hadn’t felt before. Gal taught me to trust her. I was 18 and she was 19.Gal told me about men who followed models around to casting calls. They were paid by clubs to convince models like us to join them at these clubs in exchange for expensive food, drinks, publicity photos, and VIP treatment. Gal told me to never trust these men, because they rape.Gal’s previous roommate had been tricked by one of these men, and the underlying message was clear: trust Gal. I felt safe with Gal. I did not realize then how little I knew about rape, predators, and the culture that supports them.Gal and I spent most of our free time together. We shared food, clothes, and makeup. We went to the gym. We went shopping and tanning together. We went on photo shoots together. I made her a mix CD. I sang her to sleep. I watched her smoke constantly out of the window. We shared body insecurities, and she shared sex stories. She made sure to appear confident, knowledgeable, and successful — even then. She fed me information about Israel. Whenever she discussed Palestinians, she showed deep hatred.Gal set us up on dates with men who expected sex in exchange for the lavish meals they fed us, although we never slept with them. She would pick smaller men, and threaten them after dinner. They complained and she chased them off with more threats. She would laugh about it later. She used sex as a weapon.Several weeks into my stay, she took me to meet her Israeli friends including her best friend Ayala*. Ayala and her boyfriend Yaniv seemed very close. He appeared to dote on her, and they seemed very much in love.Gal, Ayala, Yaniv and I went out each weekend, sometimes with other friends. The four of us quickly became a core group. We went to clubs to spend time in the spaces reserved for celebrities.Hidden behind the historic exteriors of Milan’s ancient architecture were sensory-overwhelming nightclubs, decked out like palaces. These places were teeming with swarms of people feeding off of manufactured prestige. I was a sheltered child from a small town, and was utterly unprepared for the dark side of the modeling and nightlife industries.A short time later, Gal and I spent a weekend at Yaniv and Ayala’s room inside another shared apartment. Gal and I shared a pull out couch while Yaniv and Ayala slept in their bed. The room was close and intimate. We spent the evening laughing, watching movies, smoking, and drinking. Yaniv commented on how I could not hold my alcohol, fully aware I had no experience getting drunk.A week later, Ayala left for a modeling gig in Greece while Gal was in Ireland for a weekend shoot. Yaniv invited me out to dinner alone. Over dinner, we talked about our significant others, his travel around the world, and his time in the Israeli Defense Forces. I didn’t realize that his intentions were anything other than honorable. After dinner, his friend invited us to a new club.Yaniv asked if I had ever drank wine, knowing I had not. He bought me several drinks with dinner while telling me that I needed to try different varieties. It’s hard for me to remember what happened after that. I assume he drugged me.To this day, I have never been inebriated in that particular way, especially after only drinking wine. I was in and out of consciousness, and my body felt limp. I kept falling over. My brain felt like it was shutting down. Yaniv called his roommate Ofir to help carry me home. I couldn’t walk. I was dead weight. I remember odd pieces, like him repeatedly asking me in a sick, almost playfully malicious tone of voice if I thought I was smart.I remember thinking that we were going home so that I would sleep on the couch, as Gal and I had before. I woke up in Yaniv’s bed, naked. He had removed my clothes when I was unconscious. I remember him climbing on top of me. I could just barely say “no”, and “this isn’t right”. Then I blacked out.I woke up again while he continued raping me. He was restraining my arms so I couldn’t move. It was violent. There was pain. I will never forget how he looked in that dark room. I will never forget the absolute panic I felt. It was terror. I thought he would kill me next. His rape was full of hate. He did not look at me.I woke up the next morning, groggy and delirious. I asked Yaniv what happened. I wanted to hear him say it.“We had sex,” he said, and shrugged. “I thought you knew.”“I told you no,” I said, quietly.“You told me no but your body told me yes,” he said. That line still haunts my mind, 13 years later.I couldn’t get out of his bed, even though I wanted to leave. I was physically sick; not only still intoxicated from the aftereffects of whatever I consumed, but also bruised, shocked, and traumatized. As I lay in his bed, I listened to Yaniv call a friend and brag about having sex with an 18 year old. His conquest; an accomplishment; a notch on his belt.He told me that no one could know, because Ayala would be too hurt. Soon, he began ignoring me.I was disoriented and traumatized. I had absolutely no context to process what had happened. I had no sex education, and certainly no understanding of predators or the culture that supports them. I had been taught a woman should be a virgin until marriage.I thought sex was about love. What I experienced from him was not love. It was hate and disgust. I didn’t have the language to call this rape. Rape was something to fear from strangers while walking alone down the street. Rape was not committed by a friend.I thought he was my friend.I was used, discarded, and alone.Almost alone. At least I had Gal, I thought. She came home two days later. She knew something had happened by looking at me. I wonder if I reminded her of her previously raped roommate.Gal immediately began interrogating me. I could see no compassion in her eyes. I told Gal something had happened between Yaniv and I.She took me down to the basement. It was cold, mechanical, and frightening. We were alone. Then her anger exploded.She stood over me, intimidating and loud, blaming me for what happened. Her eyes were fire. I had already felt small and violated, but she shamed me into feeling obsolete. I felt extremely dirty. Already in shock, I disassociated from my body. I can’t remember most of her words. I remember being in utter terror of her anger.She was furious for Ayala and “what I had done to her”. Gal pointed her finger in my face like a weapon. She asked me how I could do this, and that I needed to make this up to Ayala. She made me feel ashamed, that the whole event had been my fault, and that I had brought it upon myself by being so naïve.After that, I feared Gal. I spent nights out as long as I could, hoping to avoid her. When I did see Gal, she would speak of nothing other than her conviction that I needed to speak with or write to Ayala. She would not let up. She was obsessed. There was absolutely no understanding from her. I don’t know how she could not have seen how the rape changed me. I was no longer the same person.On my last night in Milan, Gal made one final attempt to get me to submit to her demands. She brought me downstairs to a computer. Gal put her hands on me and forced me into the chair. She made me open my email account and write Ayala’s address in the address bar.Standing behind me and above me, Gal held my shoulders down with a terrible pressure, preventing me from escape. She attempted to dictate what she called my “confession and apology”. I could not do it. I was crying, and my head seemed to break apart. My heart felt like it was bleeding out. My stomach was in awful knots. I began disassociating from my body. I could not speak. I could not write her lies.She referred to the rape as “your mistake”.After what felt like several hours, Gal eventually gave up in disgust. It was late at night. She made me promise I would write the letter to Ayala. I never wrote the letter.I returned home confused, silent, and ashamed. Later Gal returned to Israel for her military training. I ended my modeling career as another young woman assaulted, used, and disposed by the industry and its enablers. I did not think I would ever see Gal again.When I was getting my degree in Women’s and Gender Studies, Gal showed up on Maxim in a bikini and heels, the cover girl of their issue on the women of the Israeli Defense Forces.When I saw her face, I had an immense panic attack. I had no idea how much she would upset me. My rape came flashing back. I could feel Gal’s hands pushing on my shoulders. My throat closed up and my heart raced. The nightmares continued to haunt me every night.After I graduated, I worked as the director of the sexual assault services program back in my hometown. I spent many years helping survivors to validate their experiences and process emotions, yet I still deeply struggled with my own.Yaniv Nahoum is responsible for drugging and raping me. That was not Gal’s fault. But her confidence and her power in blaming me opened up a part of my brain, and filled me with an all-consuming shame. I can still feel the pressure of her hands pushing down on me.The trust she built with me was a gateway to my total devastation.Predators gain trust in order to exploit it for their advantage.Gal has succeeded in a predatory industry because she is a predator. She is unafraid to destroy others in pursuit of her ambitions. Like any strong predator, she knows how to target, destroy, and consume the weakest and most vulnerable.Highly skilled predators in our society manage to land roles where they cultivate public trust.Bill Cosby put on a sweater and built trust as a Huxtable.Gal Gadot put on a breastplate and became an icon for women.A predator in a costume is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.When Gal Gadot says that she supports sexual assault survivors, do not believe it. Her actions speak louder than words.*not her real name

0 notes

hardcandyfilmclub · 7 years

Photo

boosting Ima Survivor until I see proof/admission otherwise

Recently Gal Gadot tweeted that bullying is unacceptable.

Her hypocrisy is deeply wounding. The shame and blame she instilled into me after I was raped was deeply traumatizing.

Gal is more than a bully; she is a predator who enables predators.

This is my story.

Thirteen years ago, I shared an apartment with Gal Gadot for two months in Milan, Italy. Several young girls lived in the building, all under contract with the same modeling management company.

Shortly after we met, Gal invited me to share space in her room. Gal’s roommate Maya* was going back home to Israel. Maya was 15, and only spoke Hebrew.

Maya was about to leave for the airport. Her bags were packed. The expression on her face was vacant. Tears were in her eyes. It was clear she was in deep pain.

Gal calmly told me that the girl had been raped, and that the experience had put the girl in the hospital.

Gal, Ayala, Yaniv and I went out each weekend, sometimes with other friends. The four of us quickly became a core group. We went to clubs to spend time in the spaces reserved for celebrities.

I woke up the next morning, groggy and delirious. I asked Yaniv what happened. I wanted to hear him say it.

“We had sex,” he said, and shrugged. “I thought you knew.”

“I told you no,” I said, quietly.

“You told me no but your body told me yes,” he said. That line still haunts my mind, 13 years later.

He told me that no one could know, because Ayala would be too hurt. Soon, he began ignoring me.

I thought he was my friend.

I was used, discarded, and alone.

Almost alone. At least I had Gal, I thought. She came home two days later. She knew something had happened by looking at me. I wonder if I reminded her of her previously raped roommate.

Gal immediately began interrogating me. I could see no compassion in her eyes. I told Gal something had happened between Yaniv and I.

She took me down to the basement. It was cold, mechanical, and frightening. We were alone. Then her anger exploded.

She referred to the rape as “your mistake”.

After what felt like several hours, Gal eventually gave up in disgust. It was late at night. She made me promise I would write the letter to Ayala. I never wrote the letter.

When I was getting my degree in Women’s and Gender Studies, Gal showed up on Maxim in a bikini and heels, the cover girl of their issue on the women of the Israeli Defense Forces.

The trust she built with me was a gateway to my total devastation.

Predators gain trust in order to exploit it for their advantage.

Highly skilled predators in our society manage to land roles where they cultivate public trust.

Bill Cosby put on a sweater and built trust as a Huxtable.

Gal Gadot put on a breastplate and became an icon for women.

A predator in a costume is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

When Gal Gadot says that she supports sexual assault survivors, do not believe it. Her actions speak louder than words.

*not her real name

#gal gadot #my post got somehow removed from the tag which stinks of supression #so imma keep reposting because TRANSPARENCY PEOPLE

11 notes · View notes