Gal Gadot appears in Eretz Nehederet election special as results stay close

Hollywood actress Gal Gadot made a guest appearance on the satirical program Eretz Nehederet on Tuesday night. The show aired on Channel 12 in two separate segments as Israeli voters awaited the outcome of a tight election.

The first segment broadcast before the polls closed. The second segment followed the release of exit polls. Those polls indicated that neither political side had secured a clear victory. The results left the path to forming a new government uncertain.

Gadot interacted with the show's recurring character Asher, a cab driver played by actor Yuval Semo. Semo's character picked up passengers who had traveled abroad to vote. More than 70,000 Israelis had returned to the country for this specific purpose. Gadot told the character she had lived outside Israel for nearly 12 years.

During the sketch, Gadot confirmed she had voted for an opposition party. She kept the specific party name secret by whispering it to the cab driver. The audio of the party name was bleeped out when the character tried to announce it. Gadot referenced the ancient Jewish teaching 'If not now, when' while discussing her participation in the vote.

The actress also discussed the challenges of being Jewish and Israeli in the United States. She noted that rising antisemitism made it difficult to identify as Israeli abroad. Gadot said she often wore a mask when going out in public. She explained that she tries to provide context to Americans about the situation in Israel. She stated that the reality seen from abroad differs from the reality seen from inside the country.

Gadot said her family is building a house in Israel. She plans to return to the country with her husband and four daughters. Three of the children were born in the United States. The sketch concluded with Gadot taking the steering wheel of the cab. She referenced her role in the Fast and Furious film series and turned the vehicle into a flying car.

The show included other political sketches. Portrayals of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot depicted the rivals as professional wrestlers. Netanyahu was shown holding a gold suitcase of cash. This referenced Qatari funds sent to Hamas in Gaza with government approval. Another sketch mocked an AI image Netanyahu released during the campaign. The image purported to show Tel Aviv destroyed by an Iranian nuclear bomb.

The second part of the broadcast addressed the inconclusive election results. Sketches featured Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman as game show contestants. They struggled to walk back promises regarding coalition partners. Members of the People of Israel Party expressed frustration that their group missed the threshold for Knesset seats. The show ended with host Eyal Kitzis handing the broadcast back to news anchor Yonit Levi. He skipped his usual sign-off about Israel being a wonderful country.