Inclusion of Zionist superhero in latest Captain America film triggers calls for boycott

The inclusion of a Zionist superhero character in Marvel's latest "Captain America" movie, and the fact that it is played by an actress who volunteered to join the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) accused of genocide in Gaza, has led to growing calls from supporters of the Palestinian struggle to boycott the film.

"Captain America: Brave New World", which opens in Malaysian cinemas this week, features Israeli actress Shira Haas in the role of Ruth Bat-Seraph, a character portrayed in the original comics as a Mossad agent codenamed Sabra.

Due to protests against the inclusion of the comics character in 2022, the producers decided to change Sabra's identity in the new film as that of a US agent, describing the move as "freshly imagined for the screen and today’s audience".

The term Sabra, the name for a desert cactus, designates a Jew who was born within the territory now known as Israel.

The controversial character debuted in Marvel superhero comics in 1981, at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East and just a year before the Sabra and Shatilla massacre, in which thousands of Palestinians and Lebanese civilians were killed by militias backed by IDF.

The change of Sabra's role as a US agent in the latest Captain America flick has not calmed the protests.

On Feb 11, pro-Palestinian supporters gathered outside the Hollywood premiere of the film and called for its boycott for including Sabra as well as Shira Haas,  holding signs such as "Sabra has got to go" and chanting slogans accusing the film's distributor Disney of supporting genocide.

The calls for a boycott were only fuelled by Haas' staunchly pro-Zionist stance: she served a brief stint as a volunteer soldier in IDF despite being exempted from Israel's mandatory conscription due to her being diagnosed for kidney cancer which stunted her growth.

Critics also pointed out Hollywood's double standards when it comes to the war in Palestine, recalling how Palestinian-Egyptian actress May Calamawy was punished for her vocal support for Palestine.

Following her posts on social media, Calamawy's major role in the film Gladiator 2 was drastically reduced, leaving her with only brief and silent appearances.

Early last year, Melissa Barrera was fired from her starring role in the upcoming film Scream 7 after posting support for Palestinians and condemning Israel’s attack on Gaza.

MalaysiaNow is trying to get a response from the Film Censorship Board on whether the controversy surrounding the Captain America film will have an impact on its local screening.

Meanwhile, the local chapter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement which has been leading the global boycott of companies, brands and academic institutions linked to the Israeli regime, has backed calls for the film's boycott.

"In my view, the Malaysian government should not allow this film to be shown in cinemas in the country, in line with the government's policy of opposing the Zionist regime of Israel for its crimes of genocide and apartheid against Palestinians," BDS Malaysia president Nazari Ismail told MalaysiaNow.

In 1994, then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad defended his government's ban on Steven Spielberg’s "Schindler's List", describing the film as Jewish propaganda.

Anwar Ibrahim, the deputy prime minister at the time, later said the ban would be reviewed before announcing that the film would be allowed to be shown after the usual review.