Gal Gadot is directing her $1 million Genesis Prize award toward mental health and trauma care in Israel, with a matching fundraising effort bringing the initiative's total to $3 million, or about £2.2 million. The announcement comes as the Israeli actress remains a controversial figure in Hollywood because of her public support for Israel and advocacy for hostages following the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks.
The 2026 Genesis Prize laureate will support 24 Israeli non-profit organisations working in areas including trauma treatment, mental healthcare, caregiver support and social services. While the headline figure is $3 million, Gadot is donating the $1 million prize herself; the additional $2 million came from a matching initiative led by the Jewish Funders Network.
Gal Gadot Turns Genesis Prize Into $3M Initiative
Gadot, best known internationally for playing Wonder Woman, was announced as the 2026 Genesis Prize laureate in November 2025. The annual award comes with $1 million, which recipients traditionally dedicate to a philanthropic cause.
Rather than retain the money, Gadot chose to direct her award towards organisations supporting Israelis dealing with the psychological consequences of the 7 October attacks and the wars that followed.
'After three years of war, loss, and extraordinary hardship, I believe recovery starts from within,' Gadot said in a statement released by the Genesis Prize Foundation on 23 September.
The actress said the funding would support 'the doctors, nurses, medics, mental health professionals, and caregivers' working to help people recover and rebuild.
The initiative subsequently grew to $3 million after the Jewish Funders Network helped secure another $2 million from private and corporate donors. The Genesis Prize Foundation said the money will be distributed through grants to 24 Israeli organisations.
24 Organisations To Receive Funding
The selected organisations work across Israel and support a wide range of groups affected by trauma, including children, young people, families, frontline workers, mental health professionals and caregivers.
Among the recipients are Make-A-Wish Israel, United Hatzalah and CareGivers Israel. Other organisations receiving support include the Israel Centre on Addiction, EmotionAid, Beit Daniella and Otef Lev.
The Genesis Prize Foundation said 150 Israeli non-profits applied during a two-month application period, with 54 progressing through the review process before 24 organisations were selected.
The grants will fund services including trauma counselling, mental health treatment, caregiver training and social work. Some programmes also focus on strengthening the professionals providing psychological support to others.
The foundation said the selected organisations operate in northern, southern and central Israel and serve communities from different backgrounds.
Why Gadot Faces Gaza Backlash
The donation comes against a politically charged backdrop. Since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks, Gadot has publicly advocated for Israeli hostages and expressed support for Israel.
When announcing her as the 2026 Genesis Prize laureate, the foundation highlighted her advocacy for hostages and her efforts to support Israel internationally. Gadot has described herself as 'a proud Jew and a proud Israeli'.
Her position has also drawn criticism from pro-Palestinian activists and others who have objected to her public advocacy during the Gaza war. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported in November 2025 that her prize recognition came as the conflict had intensified divisions within Hollywood.
Gadot has previously addressed civilian suffering on both sides. In October 2023, she posted that the killing of innocent Palestinians and Israelis was horrific. The post was subsequently deleted after criticism, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
She also helped organise a screening in Los Angeles of footage from the 7 October attacks in November 2023. The event prompted a demonstration by pro-Palestinian activists, who criticised the screening and Gadot's role in it.
'Killing Babies Is Trauma' Claim Needs Context
The phrase 'Killing Babies Is Trauma' in the headline should not be presented as a direct quotation from Gadot. The available reporting and her current Genesis Prize statement do not establish that she made that specific statement.
Instead, the documented focus of her latest initiative is trauma recovery among Israelis following the 7 October attacks and subsequent wars. The Genesis Prize Foundation says the funding is intended to strengthen long-term mental health services and support professionals working with people affected by trauma.
The foundation has cited an estimate from former Israeli State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman that as many as three million Israelis have experienced trauma or post-traumatic stress symptoms during the past three years. That figure is an estimate attributed to Englman, rather than an independently established count.
For Gadot, the donation represents a continuation of the position she expressed when accepting the Genesis Prize: using the award to support organisations helping Israelis recover.
'Caring for one another is how we begin to move forward,' she said.
The $3 million initiative places Gadot's philanthropic work alongside the continuing debate over her public advocacy for Israel. While the money is specifically earmarked for mental health and trauma services in Israel, the wider context of the Gaza war means the actress's latest charitable move is likely to remain part of a much broader discussion about celebrity activism, Israel and the humanitarian consequences of the conflict.
