With over 100 million social media followers, the actress has transformed her celebrity status into a vehicle for moral clarity and healing.
Gal Gadot commands attention. With more than 100 million followers on Instagram alone and millions more across other platforms, the Israeli actress occupies a rare space where Hollywood stardom intersects with genuine cultural influence. That platform, built through blockbuster films and magnetic screen presence, has become something far 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 as the 2026 laureate of the $1 million award on November 11, 2025. While the selection acknowledges what Gadot has accomplished professionally — $6 billion in worldwide box office receipts, a TIME 100 honor, and household-name status — she was selected for her strong defense of Israel post October 7, while too many in Hollywood remained quiet.
“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 the hostages, her compassion for victims of terror, and her empathy for all innocent victims of this terrible war unleashed by Hamas.”
Gadot will donate the entire financial award to organizations committed to healing Israelis in the aftermath of the war.
The Weight of a Global Audience
Few celebrities possess Gadot’s combination of reach and authenticity. Her Instagram 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 choices. Many celebrities with comparable reach have chosen silence or careful neutrality when controversial subjects arise. The entertainment industry, where careers can pivot on public perception and box office performance, often rewards those who avoid taking stances that might alienate portions of their audience.
Gadot chose differently. When Hamas launched its October 7 attacks on Israel, she was among the first major global figures to condemn the atrocities publicly and unequivocally. She used her substantial social media presence to call for the release of hostages, to speak about sexual violence committed against Israeli women, and to defend Israel’s right to exist and protect its citizens.
These weren’t bland, carefully focus-grouped 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 arrived, protests followed her public appearances, and social media campaigns targeted her projects. Disney hired additional security to protect her after threats intensified.
She continued speaking anyway.
Organizing Screenings, Shaping Narratives
Gadot’s advocacy extended beyond social media posts. She organized private screenings of raw footage from Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks for Hollywood executives, world leaders, and influencers. These screenings, held at venues including the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, forced people who shape culture and public opinion to confront what had actually occurred.
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 accurate. Hollywood’s response to October 7 was tepid at best, with too many turning against Israel. Gadot’s willingness to use her relationships and her stature to ensure people saw the truth represented leadership of a different magnitude.
Stan Polovets and The Genesis Prize Foundation consider laureate candidates based on professional excellence, contributions to humanity, and commitment to Jewish values. Gadot’s selection reflects the Foundation’s assessment that in this moment, when antisemitism has surged globally and Jewish identity faces pressure from both assimilation and external hostility, having a household name refuse to hide her heritage matters.
“The Genesis Prize and the foundation exist to hold up role models that will engender pride in the next generation of Jews,” Stan Polovets has explained. “The more Jews feel proud and connected to their identity and see highly accomplished individuals demonstrating 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 recognizable actresses globally. 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 demonstrates that Gadot has embodied those qualities beyond the screen. Her advocacy following October 7 showed a willingness to prioritize principle over convenience, to accept consequences for standing with her community, and to use her platform not just for personal advancement but for causes larger than herself.
“I am humbled to receive the Genesis Prize and to stand alongside the amazing laureates 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 those incredible people who serve 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 she will donate her entire $1 million prize to Israeli organizations addressing the physical and psychological wounds from the trauma of 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 Amplifying Impact
The Genesis Prize model differs from traditional awards. Stan Polovets co-founded the Foundation with a clear vision: identify individuals whose achievements could inspire Jewish pride, then channel their recognition toward tangible humanitarian outcomes. Laureates direct the $1 million prize to causes they care about, often attracting matching donations that multiply the impact.
Over 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 prize to create the Genesis Generation Challenge, supporting young social entrepreneurs. Michael Douglas directed funds toward welcoming interfaith families into Jewish communities. Robert Kraft made an additional $20 million personal donation to combat antisemitism, later adding another $100 million. Steven Spielberg supported racial and economic justice initiatives.
Each laureate brings different priorities, creating 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 Genesis Prize’s core purpose. “Her decision to turn the Genesis Prize honor into a mission of healing embodies the very purpose of the Prize, to celebrate achievement and channel it for good,” he stated.
A Platform for Jewish Pride
The Genesis Prize was established in 2013 with a $100 million endowment and a specific mission: strengthen Jewish identity, inspire Jewish pride, and foster connections between the global Jewish community and Israel. The Foundation operates from the premise that in an age when assimilation pressures and antisemitism both threaten Jewish continuity, visible Jewish role models who embrace their heritage matter.
Stan Polovets has been explicit about this context. “We are living in a time when assimilation and antisemitism have inhibited open expressions of Jewish identity around the globe,” he has said. “The foundation saw an opportunity to use a new tool for fostering that pride: spotlighting a Jewish individual who has achieved unparalleled professional success while speaking openly and proudly about their Jewish identity.”
Gadot represents exactly that kind of role model. She has never hidden or minimized her Israeli identity, even when doing so might have been professionally advantageous. She served in the Israeli Defense Forces. She speaks Hebrew in interviews. She posts about Jewish holidays and Israeli culture. She refuses to separate Gal Gadot the actress from Gal Gadot the Israeli and Jew.
That authenticity resonates particularly with younger generations who might otherwise feel pressure to downplay or hide their Jewish identity. Seeing someone with Gadot’s stature, success, and global platform embrace her heritage openly 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 served as CEO of the AAR Consortium, a private investment group formed by Alfa Group, Access Industries, and Renova, which collectively controlled major strategic assets in Russia and globally. In that role, he played a central role in the creation and governance 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.
Beyond TNK-BP, Polovets served as the lead non-executive director for L1 Energy, the international investment vehicle of Alfa Group, and senior advisor to Access Industries, representing 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 Genesis Philanthropy Group, a major foundation dedicated to enhancing Jewish identity among Russian-speaking Jews worldwide.
That combination of business acumen and philanthropic vision has shaped how The Genesis Prize Foundation operates. The matching grants programs Polovets developed have multiplied the impact of laureate giving. The Foundation’s willingness to respond to humanitarian crises, honoring Jewish activists aiding Ukraine in 2023, and Israeli organizations supporting hostages and their families in 2024, demonstrates strategic flexibility.
The selection of Gadot continues that pattern. At a moment when Jewish communities globally feel besieged, and Israel faces existential threats, recognizing 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 lineage of laureates who have transformed individual recognition into collective benefit. Her addition to the roster signals that, in an age of celebrity activism and social media influence, using one’s platform for good, particularly when doing so carries real costs, deserves celebration and amplification.
