Lebanon BANS blockbuster movie wonder woman,find out why

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Israeli actress Gal Gadot plays the lead role in action movie Wonder Woman

Lebanon has banned the blockbuster Wonder Woman because lead actress Gal Gadot isIsraeli.

Lebanon's Ministry of Economy issued the ban just before the film was scheduled to premiere in Lebanon, which is officially at war with Israel.

It was blocked by the government because of the star's nationality and her support for Israel's army. 

Lebanon's Grand Cinemas movie theater chain announced the ban on its Twitter page. 

The film had passed the country's standard screening procedures but lobby group 'Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel-Lebanon' put pressure on the government urging them not to screen it. 

Lebanon is officially at war with Israel and has a decades-old law that boycotts Israeli products and bars Lebanese citizens from travelling or having contacts with Israelis.

Moreover leading actress Gadot was a soldier in the Israeli army, and has expressed support for Israel's military policies against the Gaza Strip, a coastal Palestinian territory run by the militant Hamas group.

In a widely shared posting on her Facebook page, Gadot had praised Israel's military during the Gaza-Israel 2014 war, sending prayers to Israeli soldiers 'who are risking their lives protecting my country against the horrific acts conducted by Hamas'. 

Campaigners lobbied for the movie to be banned because of Gadot's nationality and support for the Israeli army

Wonder Woman: Gadot was an unpopular choice among campaigners in Lebanon

Wonder Woman: Gadot was an unpopular choice among campaigners in Lebanon

Even though Lebanon enjoys a greater margin of freedom of expression than other countries in the region, prior censorship remains in place, particularly with content relating to Israel, religion and homosexuality.

Reflecting tightening of censorship, an Egyptian movie about a celebrity Muslim cleric, Mawlana, and a Lebanese movie, Beach House, about friends discussing their identities were banned in Lebanon earlier this year.

Mawlana was later shown after cuts were made, said one cinema manager, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing controversy. The two movies were approved in Egypt.

The movie is based on the DC Comics character, Wonder Woman. It has earned Gadot acclaim, as a rare leading female role

Crowned Miss Israel, Gadot went on to serve the mandatory two-year military service in Israel, before starting her acting career and was cast in a series of Hollywood movies and shows

Despite the controversy in Lebanon, Wonder Woman is set to open as scheduled during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan across theaters in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait on Thursday. It is scheduled for release June 22 in Oman and June 29 in Bahrain.

The movie is based on the DC Comics character, Wonder Woman. It has earned Gadot acclaim, as a rare leading female role.

The Israeli actress appeared in reprisals of the Fast and Furious, none of them were banned in Lebanon. 

Crowned Miss Israel, she then went on to serve the mandatory two-year military service in Israel, before starting her acting career and was cast in a series of Hollywood movies and shows, before landing the role of Wonder Woman in last year's Batman Vs Superman.

That is when the campaign against her movies in Lebanon began, as the same campaigners sought to bar Batman Vs Superman, which was shown in Lebanese theaters.