‘Pressure on celebrities’ to condemn Israel behind ‘Snow White’ flop: Gadot

‘Pressure on celebrities’ to condemn Israel behind ‘Snow White’ flop: Gadot
Gal Gadot, Marc Platt and Rachel Zegler attend the World Premiere of Disney’s Snow White at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 15, 2025. (AFP)
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‘Pressure on celebrities’ to condemn Israel behind ‘Snow White’ flop: Gadot

‘Pressure on celebrities’ to condemn Israel behind ‘Snow White’ flop: Gadot
  • Actress served as fitness instructor in Israeli military, including during 2006 war against Lebanon
  • Co-star Rachel Zegler supported Palestinian cause during movie’s promotional period

LONDON: Israeli actress Gal Gadot has blamed the failure of the film “Snow White” on “pressure on celebrities to speak out against Israel.” 

Co-star Rachel Zegler made a point of supporting the Palestinian cause during the movie’s promotional period.

After the trailer for the film was released, Zegler posted on X: “i love you all so much! thank you for the love and for 120m views on our trailer in just 24 hours! what a whirlwind. i am in the thick of rehearsals for romeo + juliet so i’m gonna get outta here. bye for now. and always remember, free palestine.”

It led to a face-to-face meeting with the film’s producer, Marc Platt, whose son Jonah blamed Zegler’s remarks for the film’s poor reviews, calling her “immature.”

Gadot served as a fitness instructor in the Israeli military for two years, including during the 2006 war against Lebanon.

She told Israeli TV show “The A Talks” that she had expected “Snow White” to be a success, but “then Oct. 7 happened” and there was “a lot of pressure” on Hollywood figures “to speak out against Israel.” The film, she said, was “greatly affected” and “didn’t do well” as a result.

The “Snow White” remake had already faced criticism after actor Peter Dinklage called it “backwards” for its depiction of dwarves.

It grossed $205 million worldwide from a budget of around $270 million, and critic reviews were broadly negative.

In 2024, Gadot addressed the Anti-Defamation League in the aftermath of the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, saying: “Never did I imagine that on the streets of the United States, and different cities around the world, we would see people not condemning Hamas, but celebrating, justifying and cheering on a massacre of Jews.”


Palestine envoy to Ireland praises author for support of group banned in UK 

Palestine envoy to Ireland praises author for support of group banned in UK 
Updated 17 sec ago

Palestine envoy to Ireland praises author for support of group banned in UK 

Palestine envoy to Ireland praises author for support of group banned in UK 
  • Sally Rooney vowed to use earnings from BBC adaptations of her work to promote Palestine Action
  • Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid praised her for ‘using her voice’ to call out ‘human rights violations in Palestine’

LONDON: The Palestinian ambassador to Ireland has praised author Sally Rooney for her support of the group Palestine Action, which is banned in the UK.

“Sally Rooney is using her voice to call out international law and human rights violations in Palestine,” Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid said on Monday.

“I hope these calls result in practical actions that will stop the horrors we’re witnessing carried out by Israel in Palestine; to stop the genocide and forced displacement and end the Israeli occupation.”

It comes after the award-wining writer said she would use earnings from BBC adaptations of her books to support Palestine Action following its proscription in the UK as a terrorist organization after a series of incidents, including activists breaking into a Royal Air Force base in England and spraying red paint on two military planes.

Support for, or membership of, a proscribed group in the UK carries a potential prison term of up to 14 years.

The “Normal People” author wrote in the Irish Times that she would use her money and platform to support the group’s “direct action against genocide in whatever way I can,” and that if doing so “makes me a ‘supporter of terror’ under UK law, so be it.”

The BBC has said Rooney, who does not live in the UK, has never been employed by the corporation, and that her views and money are her own to do with as she chooses.

“Matters relating to proscribed organisations are for the relevant authorities,” a BBC spokesperson said in a statement. 


Malika El-Maslouhi stuns in Anthropologie resort-wear

Malika El-Maslouhi stuns in Anthropologie resort-wear
Updated 18 August 2025

Malika El-Maslouhi stuns in Anthropologie resort-wear

Malika El-Maslouhi stuns in Anthropologie resort-wear
  • Moroccan-Italian model has been a fixture for the brand

DUBAI: Moroccan-Italian model Malika El-Maslouhi is the face of Anthropologie’s 2026 resort-wear campaign, bringing sophistication to the brand’s latest collection.

The images, shared recently on Anthropologie’s Instagram account, capture El-Maslouhi against sunlit backdrops that evoke the spirit of coastal escapes.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The 26-year-old model, who has become a favorite on international runways, lends a fresh, cosmopolitan allure to the campaign.

The line blends breezy elegance with playful details including jewel-toned maxi dresses, sleek black knitted dress, and form-fitting satin gowns that would be perfect for date night.

El-Maslouhi has previously starred in Anthropologie’s summer campaigns.  The catwalk star was photographed posing pool and beachside in pieces from Anthropologie’s summer offering, which include ready-to-wear, swimwear and accessories.

El-Maslouhi was seen sporting standout pieces including a lobster-embroidered cardigan, colorful printed shorts, loose summer dresses, tropical one-pieces, denim shorts, floral-printed maxi skirts and tie-up shirts in lightweight fabric, all from the “Sunrise, Jetset” collection.

Earlier this year, El-Maslouhi starred in Saint Levant’s music video for the song “Exile,” directed by Algerian-French filmmaker Lyna Zerrouki. The video, which explores themes of longing, loss and hope, features El-Maslouhi against a striking blue backdrop, seemingly falling through the air.

Saint Levant, a rapper with Palestinian, French, Algerian and Serbian ancestry, is known for songs including “From Gaza, With Love” and “5am in Paris.” He performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival music festival in California in 2024.

The musician used the opportunity to address the ongoing war in Gaza, saying: “Coachella, my name is Saint Levant and I was born in Jerusalem and raised in Gaza.”

He said “the people of Gaza have been undergoing a brutal, brutal genocide for the past six months. And the people of Palestine have been undergoing a brutal occupation for the past 75 years.”

El-Maslouhi, born in Milan to a Moroccan father and Italian mother, began modeling at 18 and has since walked for Dior, Chanel, Valentino and Jacquemus.

She has also fronted campaigns for Calvin Klein, Off-White and Lanvin, building a portfolio that balances both high-fashion prestige and approachable style.


Exploring food, faith and culture at Museum of Islamic Art’s ‘A Seat at the Table’ exhibition

Exploring food, faith and culture at Museum of Islamic Art’s ‘A Seat at the Table’ exhibition
Updated 18 August 2025

Exploring food, faith and culture at Museum of Islamic Art’s ‘A Seat at the Table’ exhibition

Exploring food, faith and culture at Museum of Islamic Art’s ‘A Seat at the Table’ exhibition
  • Over 100 items showcase food, feasting in Islamic world
  • Utensils, manuscripts, ceramics and textiles are on display

DUBAI: The Museum of Islamic Art’s new exhibition, “A Seat at the Table: Food and Feasting in the Islamic World,” developed in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, explores how food connects people across cultures and faiths.

Organized into five thematic sections, the Doha exhibition examines different aspects of culinary traditions in Islamic culture, from preparation and presentation to their role in rituals, celebrations and daily life.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

On display are over 100 items from the Museum of Islamic Art’s collection, along with select loans from other Qatar Museums institutions and the Qatar National Library. These include lavish serving vessels, cooking tools, manuscripts, ceramics and textiles.

“The original idea for the exhibition came from LACMA, which Qatar Museums has an official partnership with,” Tara Desjardins, senior curator of decorative arts and design at Lusail Museum, said recently.

“Their senior curator of Islamic art, Linda Komaroff, was already preparing an exhibition called ‘Dining with the Sultan’ (2023) that she wanted MIA to collaborate on and/or host as a potential venue.”

“However, when we began discussions in 2020, it became apparent that we needed to have a different storyline to hers, one that spoke to our local audience and promoted our rich collections here in Qatar,” she added.

Desjardins explained that food offers a unique lens through which to understand shared traditions across the Islamic world.

“Food is a universal topic that has the power to cross boundaries and unite cultures and communities,” she said.

“Despite this breadth and diversity, fundamental practices and beliefs rooted in religious traditions connect all Muslims, irrespective of location or culture.”

The exhibition includes videos of chefs preparing dishes. “The contemporary chefs intend to bring a real-life aspect to the exhibition and to highlight the importance of chefs,” Desjardins said.

While researching, she was struck by common threads. “What was perhaps more surprising is how similar culinary traditions are, and how easily ingredients, dishes, and gastronomy have travelled through time and space,” she said.
 


Author Sally Rooney says she will use BBC royalties to support banned group Palestine Action

Author Sally Rooney says she will use BBC royalties to support banned group Palestine Action
Updated 17 August 2025

Author Sally Rooney says she will use BBC royalties to support banned group Palestine Action

Author Sally Rooney says she will use BBC royalties to support banned group Palestine Action
  • The “Normal People” author made the remarks in a column for the Irish Times
  • Palestine Action was proscribed by the UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in July

LONDON: Irish novelist Sally Rooney has said she intends to use royalties from the BBC to fund Palestine Action, a group banned in the UK last month under terrorism legislation, .

The “Normal People” author made the , where she argued that if her actions are considered terrorism under British law, “so be it.”

She wrote: “My books, at least for now, are still published in Britain, and are widely available in bookshops and even supermarkets, in recent years the UK’s state broadcaster has also televised two fine adaptations of my novels, and therefore regularly pays me residual fees.”

She continued: “I want to be clear that I intend to use these proceeds of my work, as well as my public platform generally, to go on supporting Palestine Action and direct action against genocide in whatever way I can.

“If the British state considers this ‘terrorism’, then perhaps it should investigate the shady organisations that continue to promote my work and fund my activities, such as WH Smith and the BBC.”

The broadcaster and bookseller have not yet commented on Rooney's remarks.

Palestine Action was proscribed by the UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in July after activists allegedly broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and damaged two military aircraft, causing £7 million ($9.5 million) of damage. Membership, support or funding of the group carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

Rooney, whose novels “Normal People” and “Conversations with Friends” have been adapted into BBC dramas, said she felt compelled to speak out after “more than 500 peaceful protesters” were arrested in a single day on Aug. 9.

“If this makes me a ‘supporter of terror’ under UK law, so be it,” she wrote.

She noted that in the six weeks since the ban, police had arrested more than 700 people for supporting the group.

According to the Metropolitan Police, a further 60 individuals are set to be prosecuted, while Norfolk Police confirmed that 13 people were detained at a protest in Norwich on Saturday.

Rooney said those arrested included an Irish citizen and a woman in Belfast.

She criticized what she described as “political policing,” contrasting the arrests with the absence of action when a mural celebrating the proscribed Ulster Volunteer Force was repainted in north Belfast last year.

“Palestine Action, proscribed under the same law, is responsible for zero deaths and has never advocated the use of violence against any human being,” she said.

“Why then are its supporters arrested for wearing T-shirts, while murals celebrating loyalist death squads are left untouched?”

The author also questioned why Dublin, where the government has made its stance clear that Israel is committing genocide, had not intervened.

“Why then are its supporters arrested for protesting an acknowledged genocide?” she asked.

Rooney has previously expressed support for Palestine Action in a witness statement submitted to the High Court in London, where the proscription is being challenged by one of its founders.

She accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government of stripping citizens of “basic rights and freedoms” in order to protect ties with Israel.

The ramifications, she said, were “profound,” warning that “an increasing number of artists and writers can no longer safely travel to Britain to speak in public.”


Khaled Esguerra transforms street aesthetics at Ishara Art Foundation

Khaled Esguerra transforms street aesthetics at Ishara Art Foundation
Updated 17 August 2025

Khaled Esguerra transforms street aesthetics at Ishara Art Foundation

Khaled Esguerra transforms street aesthetics at Ishara Art Foundation

DUBAI: Abu Dhabi-born artist Khaled Esguerra brings a bold, participatory installation to the UAE’s Ishara Art Foundation’s “No Trespassing.” The summer exhibition, which runs until Aug. 30, brings together six UAE-based and South Asian artists.

The show explores boundaries, physical, cultural and institutional, through the lens of street art aesthetics recontextualized within the gallery’s white cube space. Esguerra, whose work spans photography, sculpture and performance, is known for examining the shifting identity of Abu Dhabi through the lens of its architecture, language and everyday textures.

With more than 800 sheets of carbon paper glued to copier paper, Esguerra’s largest work to date invites viewers to break the unspoken rules of gallery etiquette by walking across the art itself.

“Well, for one, there’s no way to interact with my work without literally trespassing into the space,” he told Arab News.

“Visitors tend to imagine this invisible barrier between themselves and the work … but the work confronts them as soon as they stumble upon the entrance of the room.”

The installation uses found materials, often seen in informal city advertisements, to convey the atmosphere of the streets. “Being faithful to the medium was important to me,” Esguerra said. “But more than the medium, I wanted to convey the atmosphere of the streets … I loved it!”

Beneath layers of carbon paper, words like “heritage,” “legacy” and “authentic” emerge, asking viewers to reflect on what these terms mean in the context of redevelopment.

“The work is really a critique on redevelopment schemes … by revealing (these) words … I wanted them to be confronted by this vocabulary and question their role in these manufactured changes in historic neighborhoods.”

Reflecting on the communal nature of the installation, he added: “It took a village and a half to develop this piece … it made me realize that as solitary and personal as my practice can be, it always was and will continue to be pushed by community.”