Gal Gadot moving back to Israel, laments it is ‘hard to be Israeli abroad’

Actress Gal Gadot says rising antisemitism has made life abroad difficult, plans return to Israel.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israeli actress Gal Gadot has revealed plans to move back to Israel with her husband and four daughters, citing the growing difficulties of living abroad amid rising antisemitism and hostility toward Israelis following the October 7 attacks and subsequent war.

The Hollywood star, best known for her portrayal of Wonder Woman, discussed the challenges of life in the United States during an appearance Tuesday on Channel 12‘s satirical program “Eretz Nehederet,” where she also revealed that she sometimes wears a face mask in public to avoid unwanted attention.

“It’s hard these days to be an Israeli abroad,” Gadot said during the election-night broadcast.

The actress, who has lived in Los Angeles for nearly 12 years, described the difficulties of being a recognizable Israeli public figure amid widespread criticism of the Jewish state.

She explained that concealing her identity can be difficult because people already know who she is, adding that she has increasingly resorted to wearing masks when shopping at supermarkets or visiting other public places.

“There’s a lot of hate,” Gadot said, describing her efforts to explain Israel’s perspective to Americans.

“I try to explain to them that what you see from there isn’t what we see from here. And what we see here, you don’t see there.”

She said she frequently attempts to provide context about events in Israel, arguing that Israeli and international audiences receive significantly different information about the conflict.

According to Gadot, news stories receiving widespread attention abroad are not necessarily prominent in Israel, while developments covered extensively by Israeli media often receive little attention internationally.

Despite the challenges she faces in Hollywood, Gadot expressed optimism about returning to Israel.

Asked whether she envisioned moving back with her family, the actress answered emphatically.

“Of course. We’re also building a house here. We want to return,” she said.

Gadot and her husband, Israeli real estate developer Jaron Varsano, have four daughters, one born in Israel and three in the United States.

The actress said the children maintain a strong Israeli identity despite growing up primarily in America.

She explained that although her daughters generally behave like Americans while living in Los Angeles, their language and mannerisms quickly become distinctly Israeli during visits to the Jewish state.

Gadot did not specify when the family intends to relocate permanently.

Her comments follow earlier statements in which she discussed the family’s plans to build a home in Israel.

During a May appearance alongside Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s wife, Michal Herzog, the actress described her enduring attachment to her homeland.

“My heart is always here, and I always miss it,” she said.

At the time, Gadot described constructing a family home in Israel as an expression of Zionism and explained that the family’s American residence already maintains a distinctly Israeli atmosphere, including Israeli television, Israeli radio and Jewish schools for the children.

She also acknowledged experiencing anger, fear and frustration over the speed with which people abroad formed opinions about Israel.

Gadot’s latest remarks came during a special election-night edition of “Eretz Nehederet,” in which she appeared alongside comedian Yuval Semo, portraying the outspoken taxi driver Asher Ben Horin.

The sketch followed Gadot as she arrived in Israel to participate in Tuesday’s closely contested Knesset election.

Asked why she had returned, Gadot said she had come to cast her ballot, invoking the famous teaching of Hillel the Elder.

“If not now, when?” she replied.

The fictional taxi driver enthusiastically praised her patriotism before asking about her years abroad.

The comedian also attempted to discover which party Gadot supported, eventually announcing her choice over a megaphone, although the name was censored for television viewers.

Earlier Tuesday, Gadot shared an Instagram video of herself voting and urged Israelis to participate in the election.

“I’m voting for change,” she declared, without identifying the party receiving her ballot.

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