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Tunisian authorities have suspended the screening of the American movie “Death on the Nile” in local cinemas, following a boycott campaign of the film led by anti-normalization with Israel because of the Israeli actress Gal Gadot’s starring role in it. The film’s withdrawal came by order of the Ministry of Culture, according to the Ministry’s Information Office. The boycott campaigners claim that “the Israeli actress (Gal Gadot) received training from the Zionist army and supports the occupation of Palestinian lands.” In 2014, Gadot supported, on her Facebook page, the Israeli military operations in Gaza, expressing her support for the Israeli army.
The authorities ordered Tunisian Local cinemas have suspended the screening of the American movie “Death on the Nile”, starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot, following a boycott campaign led by anti-normalization parties with Israel, an official source said Wednesday.
British director Kenneth Branagh’s film, inspired by a novel of the same name by writer Agatha Christie, was withdrawn from Tunisian cinemas after its release on February 9, by order of the Ministry of Culture, according to the ministry’s information office.
“The Israeli actress (Gal Gadot) received training from the Zionist army and supports the occupation of Palestinian lands,” activist Kawthar al-Shabi, one of the campaigners behind the boycott campaign, told AFP.
She indicated the cancellation of a planned protest stop in front of a large cinema hall in the Tunisian capital, in which the film was shown, after the government decision was issued.
The film’s poster remained visible on Wednesday at the entrance to some cinemas in Tunis, but officials in these halls confirmed to Agence France-Presse that the work had been withdrawn from the screening program.
In 2014, actress Gal Gadot supported on her Facebook page the Israeli military operations in Gaza, expressing her support for the Israeli army and criticizing the Islamic movement Hamas, which has controlled the Palestinian sector since 2007.
This devastating war killed at least 2,251 Palestinians, the majority of whom were civilians, and 74 Israelis, the majority of whom were soldiers.
In 2017, Tunisia banned the movie “Wonder Woman” because Israeli actress Gal Gadot also starred in it.
Tunisia, which hosted the Palestine Liberation Organization led by Yasser Arafat between 1982 and 1994, strongly supports the Palestinian cause and rejects all forms of normalization with Israel, unlike other Arab countries that have signed agreements with the Hebrew state in recent years.
The movie “Death on the Nile” was also banned in Kuwait and Lebanon for the same reason, while it was shown in other Arab countries’ theaters.
FRANCE 24/AFP