Heroes with Different Flags: Sarsour and Gadot

For weeks I’ve heard people arguing; She does not represent me! You can be a Zionist and a Feminist! She is a terrorist! She supports the occupation! I’ve read, I’ve accepted others perspectives, and I’m here to give mine.

Gal Gadot served in the IDF like most Israelis. The draft may be mandatory, but if you live in Israel without serving in the IDF for whatever reason, you aren’t treated the same way. When you say it was for medical reasons suddenly you hear “Ahhhh, ok ok.” But if you are even lucky enough to make it to a job interview after they have seen that you started working right out of high school as opposed to joining the military, suddenly they start asking questions. So Gal Gadot served in the IDF, because all Israelis do, because it’s our duty and obligation to our country. She was a combat instructor for two years, specifically kind-of like the trainer at a gym. She would help combat soldiers stay fit, have the best running times, and stay active. Does this make her the murderer of over 2,000 Gazans during her military service? I think not.

Linda Sarsour is a Palestinian-American activist who is well known for being the co-chair for the 2017 Women’s March and being an avid part of the Feminist Movement. She supports a one-state solution, and has been criticized heavily for her views about Sharia law. She has not only been criticized by Jews, but also by Palestinians after she helped raise more than $100,000 to repair a vandalized Jewish cemetery in Missouri. Should she not be helping Jews since she is a Palestinian Muslim and we are ‘meant to be’ enemies? I think not.

In 2014, Linda Sarsour spoke up about banning Sharia law. Was she wrong? Why would someone be wrong if they are defending their own religion? That is equivalent to me speaking up about banning Halacha! Can we ban someone’s diet, Halal or Kosher?

Many have claimed that you cannot be a Feminist and believe in Sharia law, so I’m here to tell you otherwise. Yes, Sharia law can at times come with a lot of rules that are not fit for women, especially in 2017. But also, not fit for men. For example, criticizing or denying any part of the Quran is punishable by death, do you think Linda agrees with this statement? Because I highly doubt she does. Linda has tweeted that she does not eat pork, or drink alcohol, this does not mean she believes a woman’s testimony in court is worth half of what a mans is (a Sharia law), it simply means she doesn’t think we should be banning a religious set of laws.

In July 2014, Gal Gadot wrote the following on Facebook:

I am sending my love and prayers to my fellow Israeli citizens. Especially to all the boys and girls who are risking their lives protecting my country against the horrific acts conducted by Hamas, who are hiding like cowards behind women and children…We shall overcome!!! Shabbat Shalom!
#weareright #freegazafromhamas #stopterror #coexistance #loveidf

Now, as far as I can tell, this in no way shows that Gal Gadot is supporting the occupation, supporting the siege on Gaza, or the war. Gal was sending out her love to the people of her nation that were at the time being bombarded by rockets. Does this mean Wonder Woman does not believe in a Palestinian nation? Or their right to exist? Absolutely not. Gal Gadot has not stated her political views.

So as we assume that Linda Sarsour is supporting Hamas because she agrees to speak on the same stage as someone that may have carried out an attack or that she supports every aspect of Sharia law because she does not believe we should be banning an entire set of religious rules, or that Gal Gadot supports the occupation because she served as a fitness instructor for combat soldiers as part of her mandatory military service or that she doesn’t believe in a Palestinian state because she sent her love to Israelis during a war- Let’s all remember that taking out of context what one may say or tweet could lead to a bitter, hateful world that we don’t want our children to grow up in.