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Gal Gadot Gets Emotional Becoming First Israeli to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Actor Gal Gadot gestures during the unveiling ceremony for her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California, US, March 18, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Israeli actress Gal Gadot received a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday, and its unveiling was attended by her family and close friends, including “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins and her “Fast & Furious” costar Vin Diesel.
Gadot, 39, is the first Israeli actress and the 2,804th person to be honored with a star on the Walk of Fame, which is administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Her star is located on 6840 Hollywood Boulevard adjacent to the El Capitan Theatre. The actress, who was born in Rosh HaAyin, Israel, and stars in Disney’s new “Snow White” remake as the Evil Queen, attended the unveiling ceremony with her husband, Yaron Varsano, and four daughters – Alma, Maya, Daniella, and Ori.
“This is very surreal, and I feel like I’m the luckiest woman. I feel very humbled and grateful,” Gadot said on stage at the event while getting visibly emotional.
“I’m just a girl from a town in Israel,” she continued, garnering loud applause from the audience. “And I could never imagine such a moment. I never dreamt of becoming an actress and I never knew that these things are possible. To me it’s even more than any award because we can share it with the world. I’m not taking it home. This is for everybody. This star will remind me that with hard work and passion and some faith anything is possible.”
Gadot thanked her fans for their love and support and told them: “If a girl from Rosh can get a star on the Hollywood [Walk of Fame], anything is possible.” She also shared a message in Hebrew with her friends and family watching the event being live streamed from Israel. Gadot looked into the camera and said in Hebrew she loves them and even though they are far away, they will always be close to her heart.
The actress concluded by thanking her husband and her children. She told her daughters in part: “Everything I do, I do for you. Being your ima [mother] is my greatest, greatest privilege and the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done. Thank you for being a part of the circus. You allow me to fulfill my dreams, and I hope that you know you can do the same. You inspire me every day to strive to be a better person – strong and kind and brave, just the way that you are — and I hope that you’re proud.”
Diesel spoke on stage at the unveiling about his close relationship with Gadot, whom he starred alongside in the “Fast & Furious” film franchise. Diesel cast her to play Gisele Yashar in 2009’s “Fast & Furious” and it was Gadot’s first film role. She went on to reprise the role in “Fast Five,” “Fast & Furious 6,” and “Fast X.”
Diesel praised Gadot as an “incredible actress” and also called her family, saying that she was in his life when he became a father and is now known as “Auntie Gal” to his children. The actor also talked about the support Gadot gave him after the death of his friend and “Fast & Furious” costar Paul Walker in 2013.
“After Paul left, Gal was the first one at my house to wipe my tears,” Diesel said. “I just love her so much.”
Gadot thanked Diesel for her big movie break during her own speech. “Vin, you took a chance on a complete unknown and invited me to the ‘Fast & Furious’ family. Talk about starting big,” she told him on stage. “It was my first movie ever and your faith in me completely changed the course of my life. Thank you so much for your trust, for showing up, and your love. I love you and we’re always family.”
Jenkins – who directed Gadot in 2017’s “Wonder Woman” and also the 2020 action film “Wonder Woman 1984” – described Gadot as a “movie star” and her “best friend forever on set.” She shared some of her fondest memories with Gadot, which included them living together during the COVID-19 pandemic, and listed some of her favorite things about the Israeli star.
“[Gal] never stops from giving powerful performances, somehow always being the happiest, kindest, most loving, most heroic person on the set,” Jenkins said. “You never complain and … she is Wonder Woman. She is the most wonderful, kind, gracious person, [and] what a gift to have somebody like that embody a hero that I care so much about. There are so many reasons to be in this industry [and] I’m so honored to walk through this with someone who’s really here to make the world a better place. And it’s a much better place with you in it.”
Gadot called Jenkins “my Wonder Woman behind the camera.” She added: “I’m so grateful that the world has brought us together. Working with you has taught me to trust myself and my powers as an actress and it was only after our movie [‘Wonder Woman’] that I finally started to call myself an actress. Thank you for your inspiration and for being such a friend.”
Others who attended the unveiling of Gadot’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame include Israeli actress Shira Haas, “Snow White” director Mark Webb, and the film’s producer Marc Platt. “Snow White” lead actress Rachel Ziegler did not attend.
“Being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a testament to Gadot’s incredible talent, dedication, and impact on the entertainment industry,” said Ana Martinez, Walk of Fame producer. “It is a recognition of her hard work and contributions to the world of entertainment that will forever be immortalized on Hollywood’s iconic sidewalk. Gal Gadot is well deserving of this honor.”
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Iran Says It Has Replaced Air Defenses Damaged in Israel War
The S-300 missile system is seen during the National Army Day parade ceremony in Tehran, Iran, April 17, 2024. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Iran has replaced air defenses damaged during last month’s conflict with Israel, Iran’s Defah Press news agency reported on Sunday quoting Mahmoud Mousavi, the regular army’s deputy for operations.
During the conflict in June, Israel’s air force dominated Iran’s airspace and dealt a heavy blow to the country’s air defenses while Iranian armed forces launched successive barrages of missiles and drones on Israeli territory.
“Some of our air defenses were damaged, this is not something we can hide, but our colleagues have used domestic resources and replaced them with pre-arranged systems that were stored in suitable locations in order to keep the airspace secure,” Mousavi said.
Prior to the war, Iran had its own domestically-made long-range air defense system Bavar-373 in addition to the Russian-made S-300 system. The report by Defah Press did not mention any import of foreign-made air defense systems to Iran in past weeks.
Following limited Israeli strikes against Iranian missile factories last October, Iran later displayed Russian-made air defenses in a military exercise to show it recovered from the attack.
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Calm Reported in Syria’s Sweida, Damascus Says Truce Holding
Members of Internal Security Forces stand guard at an Internal Security Forces’ checkpoint working to prevent Bedouin fighters from advancing towards Sweida, following renewed fighting between Bedouin fighters and Druze gunmen, despite an announced truce, in Walgha, Sweida province, Syria, July 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Karam al-Masri
Residents reported calm in Syria’s Sweida on Sunday after the Islamist-led government announced that Bedouin fighters had withdrawn from the predominantly Druze city and a US envoy signaled that a deal to end days of fighting was being implemented.
With hundreds reported killed, the Sweida bloodshed is a major test for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, prompting Israel to launch airstrikes against government forces last week as it declared support for the Druze. Fighting continued on Saturday despite a ceasefire call.
Interior Minister Anas Khattab said on Sunday that internal security forces had managed to calm the situation and enforce the ceasefire, “paving the way for a prisoner exchange and the gradual return of stability throughout the governorate.”
Reuters images showed interior ministry forces near the city, blocking the road in front of members of tribes congregated there. The Interior Ministry said late on Saturday that Bedouin fighters had left the city.
US envoy Tom Barrack said the sides had “navigated to a pause and cessation of hostilities”. “The next foundation stone on a path to inclusion, and lasting de-escalation, is a complete exchange of hostages and detainees, the logistics of which are in process,” he wrote on X.
Kenan Azzam, a dentist, said there was an uneasy calm but the city’s residents were struggling with a lack of water and electricity. “The hospitals are a disaster and out of service, and there are still so many dead and wounded,” he said by phone.
Another resident, Raed Khazaal, said aid was urgently needed. “Houses are destroyed … The smell of corpses is spread throughout the national hospital,” he said in a voice message to Reuters from Sweida.
The Syrian state news agency said an aid convoy sent to the city by the government was refused entry while aid organized by the Syrian Red Crescent was let in. A source familiar with the situation said local factions in Sweida had turned back the government convoy.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Sunday that Israel sent urgent medical aid to the Druze in Sweida and the step was coordinated with Washington and Syria. Spokespeople for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Foreign Ministry and the military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Druze are a small but influential minority in Syria, Israel and Lebanon who follow a religion that is an offshoot of a branch of Shi’ite Islam. Some hardline Sunnis deem their beliefs heretical.
The fighting began a week ago with clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters. Damascus sent troops to quell the fighting, but they were drawn into the violence and accused of widespread violations against the Druze.
Residents of the predominantly Druze city said friends and neighbours were shot at close range in their homes or in the streets by Syrian troops, identified by their fatigues and insignia.
Sharaa on Thursday promised to protect the rights of Druze and to hold to account those who committed violations against “our Druze people.”
He has blamed the violence on “outlaw groups.”
While Sharaa has won US backing since meeting President Donald Trump in May, the violence has underscored the challenge he faces stitching back together a country shattered by 14 years of conflict, and added to pressures on its mosaic of sectarian and ethnic groups.
COASTAL VIOLENCE
After Israel bombed Syrian government forces in Sweida and hit the defense ministry in Damascus last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had established a policy demanding the demilitarization of territory near the border, stretching from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to the Druze Mountain, east of Sweida.
He also said Israel would protect the Druze.
The United States however said it did not support the Israeli strikes. On Friday, an Israeli official said Israel agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to the Sweida area for two days.
A Syrian security source told Reuters that internal security forces had taken up positions near Sweida, establishing checkpoints in western and eastern parts of the province where retreating tribal fighters had gathered.
On Sunday, Sharaa received the report of an inquiry into violence in Syria’s coastal region in March, where Reuters reported in June that Syrian forces killed 1,500 members of the Alawite minority following attacks on security forces.
The presidency said it would review the inquiry’s conclusions and ensure steps to “bring about justice” and prevent the recurrence of “such violations.” It called on the inquiry to hold a news conference on its findings – if appropriate – as soon as possible.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights said on July 18 it had documented the deaths of at least 321 people in Sweida province since July 13. The preliminary toll included civilians, women, children, Bedouin fighters, members of local groups and members of the security forces, it said, and the dead included people killed in field executions by both sides.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, another monitoring group, has reported a death toll of at least 940 people.
Reuters could not independently verify the tolls.
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Pope Leo Calls for End to ‘Barbarity of War’ After Strike on Gaza Church
Pope Leo XIV leads the Angelus prayer in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Yara Nardi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Pope Leo called for an end to the “barbarity of war” on Sunday as he spoke of his profound pain over an Israeli strike on the sole Catholic church in Gaza.
Three people died and several were injured, including the parish priest, in the strike on the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza City on Thursday. Photos show its roof has been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and shattering windows.
Speaking after his Angelus prayer, Leo read out the names of those killed in the incident.
“I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, of indiscriminate use of force and forced displacement of the population,” he said.
The post Pope Leo Calls for End to ‘Barbarity of War’ After Strike on Gaza Church first appeared on Algemeiner.com.