No, ‘Wonder Woman’ star Gal Gadot has not rejoined Israeli army | Fact check
The claim: Gal Gadot joined the Israeli army amid the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict
A Nov. 2 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a screenshot of a post on X, formerly Twitter, with actress Gal Gadot wearing a backpack and saluting outside a military recruitment building in Israel.
“Israeli actress Gal Gadot who played Wonder Woman in the Hollywood movie turns up at for (sic) army service,” reads the caption of the X post, which was first shared on Nov. 1.
The Facebook post was shared more than 600 times in 11 days. The X post garnered more than 3.8 million views in 12 days.
Our rating: False
This is an old photo that has appeared in articles dating back to at least 2017. While Gadot previously served in the Israeli military, she has not rejoined the service, according to her publicist.
‘Wonder Women’ star previously served in Israeli military
Gadot is an Israeli model and actress who has starred in major films, including “Wonder Woman” and “Red Notice.”
While Gadot has been vocal in her support of Israel amid its ongoing war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, her publicist, Melissa Raubvogel, told USA TODAY she has not volunteered for service.
“She has not joined the army this year,” Raubvogel said in an email.
The photo of Gadot included in the post appears in articles dating back to at least 2017, predating the ongoing war.
Gadot served in the Israel Defense Forces from 2005 to 2007, according to Forbes. A 2019 feature story about the actress in the Jewish News includes the image with the caption, “Gal in the army aged 18.”
Military service is compulsory for every Israeli citizen over 18 who is Jewish, Druze or Circassian, according to the Israel Defense Forces website, which notes there are exceptions. Women are expected to serve at least 24 months, and men are expected to serve at least 32 months.
The Facebook user who shared the photo of the X post did not respond to a request for comment. The user who originally shared the X post clarified in a follow-up post that the image of the actress was old.
