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Shira Haas’ Superhero Sabra Will Remain Israeli in Marvel’s ‘Captain America: Brave New World,’ Insiders Confirm
Shira Haas. Photo: Eyal Nevo
Marvel Studios will not erase the Israeli identity of the superhero Sabra, who will be played by Israeli actress Shira Haas in the upcoming Marvel film “Captain America: Brave New World,” two insiders with knowledge of the movie confirmed to TheWrap on Wednesday.
After Marvel Studios released a synopsis for the 2025 superhero movie last week that revealed Sabra will not be depicted as a Mossad agent, like she is in the comics, some fans expressed disappointment in changes done to the superhero’s backstory and ties to Israel. Marvel described the character in the upcoming film as a “high-ranking US government official” and former “Black Widow,” like the assassin characters played by Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh in other Marvel projects.
However, Sabra’s real name will remain Ruth Bat-Seraph in the film, as it is in the comics. She will also speak with an Israeli accent while being played by Haas in the upcoming “Captain America” film, insiders told TheWrap, clarifying that audiences will know the character is Israeli, despite other changes to the superhero. One insider explained that Sabra’s backstory for “Captain America: Brave New World” was always going to be changed from how she is portrayed in the comics, and that the decision to make her a former Black Widow instead of a Mossad agent was unrelated to recent world events or the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.
Marvel has faced criticism regarding the inclusion of the Sabra character in “Captain America: Brave New World” since it was first announced in 2022. At the time, the studio made it clear that the character might be changed from how she is depicted in the comics. “While our characters and stories are inspired by the comics, they are always freshly imagined for the screen and today’s audience, and the filmmakers are taking a new approach with the character Sabra who was first introduced in the comics over 40 years ago,” Marvel Studios said in a statement.
The superhero Sabra first appeared in the Marvel comic book “The Incredible Hulk” in 1980. In the comics, she is an Israeli mutant and agent for the Mossad. She also worked as an Israeli police officer as a cover. Her superpowers include superhuman strength, speed, stamina, a regenerative healing power, and the ability to charge others by transferring her life force to them. Her superhero costume was blue and white — the same colors as Israel’s flag — and her outfit featured a Star of David. “Sabra” is a term in Hebrew used to describe someone who is native to Israel.
The first teaser trailer for “Captain America: Brave New World” was released last week.
The post Shira Haas’ Superhero Sabra Will Remain Israeli in Marvel’s ‘Captain America: Brave New World,’ Insiders Confirm first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Treasure Trove is cheering for Israel’s soccer team at the Paris Olympics
The Paris Olympics open on Friday, July 26. For the first time since the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Israel will compete in the Olympic soccer tournament (the team’s first game is against Mali on July 24). Soccer (known as football outside North America) was introduced to Israel in the 1910s and was popularized by the British during […]
The post Treasure Trove is cheering for Israel’s soccer team at the Paris Olympics appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.
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French Police Arrest Knife-Wielding Assailant Expressing Support for Hamas on Terrorism Charges
Illustrative: French police secure access to the Bir-Hakeim bridge after a security incident in Paris, France, Dec. 3, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
French police arrested on Friday a man on terrorism charges accused of trying to murder a taxi driver with a knife while expressing support for Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, a source at the terrorism prosecutor’s office said.
France is on its highest state of security as it gears up to host millions of visitors, athletes, and world leaders during the Paris Olympic Summer Games, kicking off on July 26.
The man, already known by authorities as someone who had been radicalized, stopped a taxi on Tuesday night while brandishing a gun in the city of Le Mans, and asked to be taken to an isolated area near Ferte-Bernard.
He then forced the driver out of the car, bound him, and attacked his neck with the blade, the source said.
The driver managed to escape to a local resident’s home, where he was eventually treated by emergency services. The assailant was arrested early on Friday morning in Yvelines, west of Paris, the source said.
He is being investigated on terrorism, attempted murder, and kidnapping charges, the source said.
On Thursday, a police officer was critically injured in a stabbing attack in Paris’ Champs Elysees shopping district, in the latest in a string of unrelated security incidents in the French capital this week.
A soldier was stabbed and wounded by a man armed with a knife at a railway station on Monday. Authorities are also investigating whether a man who rammed a car into the terrace of a cafe on Wednesday evening did so deliberately.
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Israeli Soccer Team Allowed to Compete in Paris Olympics After FIFA Postpones Decision About Ban
A long exposure shows FIFA’s logo near its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland February 27, 2022. Photo: Reuters
Soccer’s world governing body FIFA has postponed a decision on a Palestinian proposal to suspend Israel from international soccer tournaments until after the Olympic Games, giving Israel’s men’s national soccer team the opportunity to compete in the Paris Olympics.
“Following requests for an extension from both parties to submit their respective positions, duly granted by FIFA, more time is needed to conclude this process with due care and completeness,” FIFA announced on Thursday. “The assessment will be shared with the FIFA Council for any subsequent decision to be taken no later than Aug. 31, 2024.”
The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) submitted a proposal in May to suspend Israel from all international soccer matches because of its military actions in the Gaza Strip as it targets Hamas terrorists responsible for the Oct. 7 deadly attacks in Israel. FIFA responded to PFA’s proposal, which was backed by the Asian Football Confederation, by ordering an immediate legal evaluation. The FIFA Council had originally promised to address the matter and share insight from its independent legal assessment by Saturday, which is just four days before the start of the Olympic soccer tournament.
The Paris Olympics will be held from July 26 – Aug. 11 and group matches for the men’s soccer tournament start on July 24. Israel is set to play Mali, Paraguay, and Japan in the group phase. The men’s Olympic soccer final is scheduled to take place on Aug. 9.
The PFA said it received a letter from FIFA on Thursday about the postponement. The PFA said it wanted clarification from FIFA regarding its process for the legal assessment.
“FIFA’s letter did not indicate the mechanism by which the independent legal opinion will be dealt with by the Council when it is presented to it,” the PFA said in a statement on Friday, adding that it “has previously addressed the International Federation more than once asking for clarifications regarding this.”
A group of lawyers who specialize in international law and human rights also urged FIFA to ban Israel this week, claiming that the Jewish state has violated several of FIFA’s statutes related to human rights and humanitarian objectives because of its “conduct in Palestine” during the ongoing war in Gaza.
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