Actress Gal Gadot was honored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) with its International Leadership Award for her efforts in combating antisemitism. In a powerful speech at the event late Tuesday night, she called for solidarity against hatred and urged the global Jewish community to take action.
“I cannot stay silent,” Gadot declared. “My name is Gal, I am Jewish, and we have had enough of this hate. We will confront antisemitism, we will call it out, but we will never let it defeat us—or define us. Because our love is stronger than their hate.” Her remarks were met with enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Gal Gadot speech at the ADL's International Leadership Award event
Reflecting on the impact of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Gadot shared how the events deeply affected her. “In the days after October 7, we were all distraught. Like many of you, I was glued to the horrors coming out of Israel and the hatred spilling over here,” she said. “I’m not a religiously observant person, but I found myself in a synagogue, and there, I finally felt a little bit of comfort. I felt the embrace of the Jewish people and the power of our community. I will never forget that feeling.”
She emphasized the global consequences of antisemitism, saying, “October 7 showed us that what happens to Jews anywhere affects Jews everywhere. And this goes both ways—not only does what happens there affect us here, but what happens here affects them there.”
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Gadot also used her platform to advocate for the release of hostages still held by Hamas. “We are here, in this room, demanding the release of every single one of our hostages. We have to bring them home,” she said. “Every minute for them is hell. Their lives are in danger, and we need them home. We want the hostages and their families to know that we have their backs, that we are here for them.”
The Israeli actress, who has four daughters with her husband, Yaron Varsano, spoke about raising them to be strong Jewish women. “We are raising strong, independent Jewish women—women who stand with other women,” she said.
Addressing sexual violence committed during the October 7 attack, she criticized the global response. “On October 7, Jewish women were sexually terrorized, raped, murdered, and kidnapped by Hamas. We waited to hear support from our sisters around the world, and too often, we were met with silence. We cannot wait any longer,” she said. “We cannot hold our breath and hope for support from those who refuse to stand with us. We must stand up for ourselves.”
Gadot concluded with a call to action for Jewish communities worldwide. “Every Jew must lean in now, in whatever way they can—speak up, learn more about our history, join a synagogue, find your community, get connected. And as we support our own community, we must never stop reaching out to the world.”
She ended her speech with a message of resilience: “We, the Jewish people, are an ancient people, with an ancient story, in an ancient homeland. We are a people who celebrate life, who work for a better and more peaceful future. We stand against hate, but we do so with love, always striving to make the world a better place.”
“And who am I?” she asked. “My name is Gal. I am Jewish. Am Yisrael Chai.”