Simo Benbachir, the famous Middle East TV reporter, living in Hollywood, recently faced many backlash and death threats after he interviewed Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot on Hala Tv & Panet Panorama. He’s well-known in the media world in both North Africa and the Middle East. Simo uses the power of silence against his haters, which (literally) makes them go wild!
Who is Simo Benbachir?
Simo Benbachir is the first TV reporter from Morocco and the first ever to cover famous Hollywood events such as the Oscars and the Grammys. He commonly interviews notable celebrities and never fails to deliver his opinions and unique points of view to his Arabic audience.
Simo started reporting when he was younger, with a start on Morocco’s 2M channel. He’s been a face on many television channels from Morocco to Tunisia, Beirut, and Dubai throughout his career. Today he primarily covers International events full of glamour, especially inside the United States.
What Happened With Gal Gadot?
It all started when Simo made it clear he was thrilled for the opportunity to interview Wonder Woman Gal Gadot. This comment that he made on Panet & Hala TV shocked circles in the Arab world. Not only that but it was followed by an outcry of anger on social networks.
Who is Gal Gadot?
Gal Gadot was crowned Miss Israel in 2004 and is the wife of Israeli businessman Yaron Farsano. She is also a singer, actress, model, and martial artist. Born in Rosh Ha’ayin to a mother who was a teacher and a father who is an engineer, she got her start in stardom after winning the Miss Israel title. It didn’t take her long to start modeling during the late 2000s, from which she moved on to movies shortly after. You may recognize her from films such as The Fast & Furious franchise, Date Night, and several superhero movies.
The heroine’s first boycott was in the summer of 2017 in Lebanon and Qatar. She performed her compulsory service for the Israeli Defense Forces, which coincided with the anniversary of the war’s launch on Lebanon in 2006. The public is aware of her support for the Israeli occupation army, especially during Gaza’s war in 2014.
Shortly after Gadot won the title of Miss Israel in 2004, she joined the Israeli occupation army, in which she served for two years. To this day, her name is still on reserve lists. Her husband is a well-known businessman who owns a hotel in settlement of “Névé Tzidik,” which was the first settlement built on occupied land outside Jaffa’s city.
She angered many people in 2014 when she publicly expressed her support on Facebook for the Israeli army amid the Gaza war. This war was responsible for the death of 67 Israeli soldiers, six civilians, and over 2,100 Palestinians. This along sparked thousands of angry comments. A short time later, in 2017, Gadot’s film “Super Woman” was banned in Lebanese cinemas due to her role in the movie.
Why the Backlash?
This is not the first time Simo has faced criticism after interviewing an Israeli personality. Such comments are a common occurrence coming from him. This is especially true after he earned the exclusive right to interview Rabbi Pinto in Royal Mansour in Marrakesh before he flew back to the United States.
Simo receives a fair amount of criticism because he’s known as a “big mouth,” and he has a strong personality when it comes to teaching haters in the Arab world a lesson. To further the anger against him, he spoke out and called Gal Gadot “one of the hottest actresses I’ve ever interviewed.” He continued to say, “she is just stunning in every sense of the word.”
This Instagram caption was met with anger and frustration by many Arab users who called him all names. The anger stems from the fact many Arabs believe that Simo promoted a former soldier in the Israeli army. Some of these haters went as far as sending him anti-Semitic messages and reactions, which untimely led to harassment and death threats.
The good news is that Simo understands that in the digital age of social media and the internet, death threats have become all too common. He has no plans of changing his opinions and will continue to stand up for his beliefs.
To watch Simo’s interview with Gal Gadot ( Hala TV- Panet Panorama)
