Gal Gadot in Tears Over Antisemitism at Wiesenthal Gala

Israeli actress Gal Gadot broke down in tears on Wednesday evening as she took the stage at the Simon Wiesenthal Center's humanitarian award ceremony in Los Angeles, warning of the growing danger of antisemitism around the world.

"I didn't expect to get emotional," said Gadot, who rose to global fame as Wonder Woman, as she began to cry. "I'm sorry." She went on to voice her fears in a speech she later posted to her Instagram account: "I'm afraid of how fast hatred of Jews is spreading, and how openly it is expressed and accepted. If people get used to hearing and seeing hate and looking away, where does it end?"

The ceremony, held at the Beverly Wilshire hotel, honored Israeli businessman Ynon Kreiz, recently named CEO of Skydance. Gadot appeared on stage in tribute to Kreiz. He also addressed antisemitism in his own speech. "Disagreement with the policies of the Israeli government cannot become an excuse for hatred of Jews," Kreiz said.

Journalist Bianna Golodryga received the center's Jewish heritage award at the same event. Golodryga co-wrote the novel "Don't Feed the Monster," about antisemitism in middle school, with Channel 12 News anchor Yonit Levi. Gadot is producing the film adaptation through Pilot Wave, the production company she founded with her husband, Jaron Varsano.

The book was published in English about a year ago and in Hebrew last summer. It follows three Jewish teenagers in Chicago facing a surge of antisemitism at their school. It has sold tens of thousands of copies and reached number one on Amazon in its Jewish children's fiction categories. Fox Entertainment Studios has joined the film project alongside Moriah Media and Pilot Wave.

"We wrote the book as two Jewish mothers who are anxious about the world our children are growing up in," Levi and Golodryga said in a joint statement when the adaptation was announced. The two said they hope the film will spark an important conversation about how young people can confront hatred and antisemitism.

Gadot left the DC film universe after Wonder Woman 3 was shelved and is now focusing on independent projects through her production company. She traveled to Israel several weeks ago specifically to vote in the Knesset elections and has been open about her ties to the country and her concern for the future of Jewish communities worldwide.

Her speech joins a string of Jewish public figures voicing alarm over rising antisemitism.