Kuwait bans mystery thriller film starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot

Kuwait's information ministry spokeswoman has said the decision to ban the Hollywood production "Death on the Nile" was taken following demands on social media.

Gadot has frequently come under criticism on social media for her mandatory service in the Israeli army.
AP

Gadot has frequently come under criticism on social media for her mandatory service in the Israeli army.

Kuwait has announced that it will ban a new film adaptation of Agatha Christie's whodunnit "Death on the Nile" with a cast of Hollywood stars including Israeli actress Gal Gadot.

According to Kuwait's Al-Qabas newspaper, the decision was taken on Sunday following demands on social media for the film to be banned.

The film, directed by and co-starring Kenneth Branagh, is due for release this month in the United States.

The story is one of the most famous works of British author Christie, dubbed the "Queen of Crime".

But cinemagoers in Kuwait will not be able to watch it, information ministry spokeswoman Anouar Mourad said, confirming press reports.

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Frequent criticism

Social media users pointed to Gadot's praise of the Israeli army and her criticism of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas during the 2014 war in Gaza.

The war left 2,251 people dead on the Palestinian side, the majority of whom were civilians, and 74 on the Israeli side, most of them soldiers.

Gadot is best known for her lead role in the 2017 Hollywood blockbuster "Wonder Woman" which was banned in some Arab countries.

She has frequently come under criticism on social media because she did her mandatory service in the Israeli army.

Kuwait is staunchly opposed to normalising ties with Israel, unlike its Gulf neighbours the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause.

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