"Hard to be an Israeli abroad": Actress Gal Gadot plans her return to 'Israel'

• Gal Gadot returned to 'Israel' to vote in the October 27 parliamentary elections and appeared on the satirical television show Eretz Nehederet.
• The actress spoke about rising hostility toward 'Israelis' abroad, her experiences in the United States and plans to relocate with her family.

Hollywood actress Gal Gadot has spoken about the challenges of living in the United States as an 'Israeli' amid growing hostility toward 'Israel' and plans to return to the country with her husband and four daughters.

Gadot made the remarks during an appearance on the popular satirical television program Eretz Nehederet, which aired on Channel 12 during the October 27 parliamentary elections.

The actress returned to 'Israel' specifically to cast her ballot, after living in the United States for nearly 12 years.

During the broadcast, Gadot appeared in a comedy sketch alongside actor Yuval Semo, who played Asher, an outspoken taxi driver known for his humorous encounters with passengers.

When Asher discovered that Gadot had returned from abroad to vote, he enthusiastically praised her as a "Zionist" and "a patriot."

Gadot responded with the phrase, "If not now, when?" echoing a famous saying attributed to the Jewish sage Hillel the Elder.

The sketch also included a humorous exchange in which Gadot whispered her preferred political party to the driver. When he attempted to announce her choice to other taxi drivers, the party's name was censored.

Earlier that day, Gadot had posted a video of herself voting, urging others to exercise their democratic rights.

"I'm voting for change," she said, without publicly identifying the party she supported.

During the television appearance, the actress discussed the difficulties of being an 'Israeli' and Jewish woman living in Hollywood amid rising antisemitism and hostility toward 'Israel'.

"It's hard these days to be an 'Israeli' abroad," she said, adding that she sometimes wears a face mask when going out in public, including when shopping, to avoid drawing attention.

"There is a lot of hate. 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, describing the differences between how events are presented in the United States and how they are viewed in 'Israel'.

She also spoke about her efforts to provide Americans with additional context about developments in the region.

Gadot confirmed that she and her husband, businessman Jaron Varsano, intend to return to 'Israel' with their four daughters.

"We want to come back, of course. We're also building a house here," she said during the interview.

The actress explained that three of their four daughters were born in the United States, while one was born in 'Israel'. She also described how quickly the children adapt to 'Israeli' culture and language when visiting the country.

Her appearance came a day after she received an honorary doctorate from Bar-Ilan University during a ceremony marking the institution's 70th anniversary.

In her acceptance speech, Gadot spoke about mutual responsibility, social solidarity and the importance of building a future based on security, hope and cooperation.