With over 100 million followers on social media, the actress has turned her celebrity status into a vehicle for moral clarity and healing.
Gal Gadot commands attention. With more than 100 million followers on alone and millions more on other platforms, the Israeli actress occupies a rare space where Hollywood stardom intersects with genuine cultural influence. That platform, built through blockbusters and magnetic screen presence, has become something much more significant since October 7, 2023: a megaphone for truth, a rallying point for solidarity, and a source of strength for Jewish communities worldwide.
The Genesis Prize Foundation recognized this unique convergence of achievement, conviction and courage when it named Gadot the 2026 laureate of the $1 million prize on November 11, 2025. While the selection recognizes what Gadot has accomplished professionally — $6 billion at the worldwide box office, she was 10 an honoree, — or she earned status 10. selected for her strong defense of Israel after the 7 October, while too many in Hollywood remained silent.
“Gal Gadot’s moral clarity and unwavering love for Israel have inspired millions,” said Stan Polovets, co-founder and chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation. “The award recognizes her bravery and moral courage, her steadfast defense of Israel at great personal and professional cost, her advocacy for hostages, her compassion for victims of terror and her empathy for all innocent victims of this horrific war unleashed by Hamas.”
Gadot will donate the entire financial prize to organizations committed to healing Israelis in the aftermath of the war.
The importance of a global audience
Few celebrities possess Gadot’s combination of range and authenticity. Her feed reaches an audience larger than the population of most countries. Her posts generate hundreds of thousands of engagements. Her image as Wonder Woman has made her synonymous with strength, justice and heroism for a generation of moviegoers.
That kind of platform creates choice. Many celebrities of comparable reach have opted for silence or cautious neutrality when controversial topics arise. The entertainment industry, where careers can turn on public perception and box office performance, often rewards those who avoid taking positions that might alienate parts of their audience.
Gadot chose differently. When Hamas launched its attacks on Israel on October 7, she was among the first major global figures to publicly and unequivocally condemn the atrocities. She used her significant social media presence to call for the release of the hostages, to speak out about sexual violence committed against Israeli women, and to defend Israel’s right to exist and protect its citizens.
These were not bland, carefully focussed statements designed to offend no one. They were clear, passionate and rooted in her identity as an Israeli and a Jew. They cost her professionally, death threats came, protests followed her public appearances and social media campaigns targeted her projects. Disney hired additional security to protect her after the threats intensified.
She continued talking anyway.
Organize shows, shape stories
Gadot’s advocacy extended beyond social media posts. She organized private screenings of raw footage of the October 7 Hamas terror attacks for Hollywood executives, world leaders and influencers. These screenings, held at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, among others, forced people who shape culture and opinion to confront what had actually happened.
The Genesis Prize Foundation described this effort as “a bold act of conscience when few in the entertainment industry, Jewish or not, dared to speak out in support of Israel.” The characterization is correct. Hollywood’s response to October 7 was lukewarm at best, with too many turning against Israel. Gadot’s willingness to use her relationships and her position to ensure people saw the truth represented leadership of another order.
Stan Polovets and The Genesis Prize Foundation consider awardees based on professional excellence, contribution to humanity and commitment to Jewish values. Gadot’s selection reflects the foundation’s assessment that at this moment, when anti-Semitism has risen globally and Jewish identity is under pressure from both assimilation and external hostility, have a famous name that refuses to hide her heritage.
“The Genesis Prize and Foundation exist to uphold role models that will instill pride in the next generation of Jews,” Stan Polovets has explained. “The more Jews feel proud and connected to their identity and see high-achieving individuals who demonstrate the same, the stronger our community will be heading into the future.”
From Wonder Woman to Real-World Heroism
Gadot’s portrayal of Wonder Woman made her one of the most famous actresses in the world. The role transformed her from a rising star to an international icon. The character represents justice, compassion, strength and moral courage – qualities that resonate across cultures.
The foundation’s selection shows that Gadot has embodied these qualities off screen. Her post-October 7 advocacy demonstrated a willingness to prioritize principle over convenience, to accept the consequences of standing with her community, and to use her platform not just for personal advancement but for causes greater than herself.
“I am humbled to accept the Genesis Award and to stand alongside the amazing awardees who came before me,” Gadot said after her selection. “I am a proud Jew and a proud Israeli. I love my country and dedicate this award to the organizations that will help Israel heal and to the incredible people serving on the front lines of compassion. Israel has endured unimaginable pain. Now we must begin to heal, to rebuild hearts, families and communities.”
That commitment to healing translates into action. Gadot announced that she will donate her entire $1 million prize to Israeli organizations dealing with the physical and psychological wounds of the trauma over the past two years. The decision continues a Genesis Prize tradition established by inaugural laureate Michael Bloomberg and maintained by all subsequent recipients, including Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand and Robert Kraft.
Strategic philanthropy amplifies impact
The Genesis Prize model differs from traditional awards. Stan Polovets co-founded the foundation with a clear vision: identify individuals whose accomplishments can inspire Jewish pride, then channel their recognition toward tangible humanitarian results. Laureates direct the $1 million prize to causes they care about, often attracting matching donations that multiply the impact.
In its first decade, the foundation was responsible for more than $50 million in grants to over 230 nonprofit organizations worldwide through this approach. Bloomberg used his award to create the Genesis Generation Challenge, which supported young social entrepreneurs. Michael Douglas directed funds to welcome interfaith families into Jewish communities. Robert Kraft made another $20 million personal donation to fight anti-Semitism, and later added another $100 million. Steven Spielberg supported racial and economic justice initiatives.
Each laureate has different priorities and creates a diverse portfolio of initiatives united by shared values. Gadot’s focus on healing addresses immediate needs while acknowledging trauma that will require sustained attention. Her decision reflects both the Jewish value of tikkun olam, repairing the world, and a practical understanding of what Israeli society needs right now.
Stan Polovets emphasized that this approach embodies the core purpose of the Genesis Prize. “Her decision to turn the award of the Genesis Prize into a mission of healing embodies the very purpose of the prize, to celebrate achievement and channel it for good,” he said.
A platform for Jewish pride
The Genesis Prize was established in 2013 with a $100 million endowment and a specific mission: to strengthen Jewish identity, inspire Jewish pride, and foster connections between the global Jewish community and Israel. The foundation operates on the assumption that, at a time when assimilation pressures and anti-Semitism both threaten Jewish continuity, visible Jewish role models who embrace their heritage.
Stan Polovets has been clear about this context. “We live in a time when assimilation and anti-Semitism have inhibited open expressions of Jewish identity throughout the world,” he has said. “The foundation saw an opportunity to use a new tool to promote this pride: to highlight a Jewish individual who has achieved unprecedented professional success while speaking openly and proudly about his Jewish identity.”
Gadot represents exactly that kind of role model. She has never hidden or minimized her Israeli identity, even when it might have been professionally advantageous to do so. She served in the Israeli Defense Forces. She speaks Hebrew in interviews. She writes posts about Jewish holidays and Israeli culture. She refuses to separate the actress Gal Gadot from the Israeli Gal Gadot and the Jew.
That authenticity resonates especially with younger generations who may otherwise feel pressure to downplay or hide their Jewish identity. To see someone of Gadot’s stature, success and global platform openly embrace her heritage sends a powerful message: Jewish identity is something to celebrate, not something to apologize for or hide.
Professional and philanthropic leadership
Before co-founding The Genesis Prize Foundation, Stan Polovets built a distinguished career in international business. He was the CEO of AAR Consortium, a private investment group formed by Alfa Group, Access Industries and Renova, which together controlled major strategic assets in Russia and globally. In that role, he played a central role in the creation and management of TNK-BP, a landmark joint venture between AAR and BP that became one of the world’s largest oil companies and, at the time, the single largest foreign investment in Russia.
In addition to TNK-BP, Polovets was the lead non-executive director of L1 Energy, Alfa Group’s international investment vehicle, and senior advisor to Access Industries, and represented Access as the lead non-executive director on the board of Clal Industries.
He also established the Vnimanie Foundation to support children with learning disabilities in Russia and co-founded the Genesis Philanthropy Group, a major foundation dedicated to strengthening Jewish identity among Russian-speaking Jews worldwide.
That combination of business acumen and philanthropic vision has shaped the way The Genesis Prize Foundation operates. The matching grant programs developed by Polovets have multiplied the impact of the awardees. The foundation’s willingness to respond to humanitarian crises, honoring Jewish activists who helped Ukraine in 2023 and Israeli organizations supporting hostages and their families in 2024, shows strategic flexibility.
The casting of Gadot continues that pattern. At a moment when Jewish communities globally feel under siege, and Israel faces existential threats, recognition of someone who has used her massive platform to defend, advocate and inspire represents both a reward for past actions and an investment in future impact.
Gadot joins a line of award winners who have turned individual recognition into collective benefits. Her addition to the list signals that, in an age of celebrity activism and social media influence, using one’s platform for good, especially when it comes at real costs, deserves to be celebrated and reinforced.
