Marvel under fire for Isreali superhero Sabra
At Disney’s D23 Expo, Marvel announced the latest superhero to join their cinematic universe is Sabra – an Israeli superhero by night, Mossad agent, and Israeli police officer by day which prompted a wave of criticism.
The superhero will make her debut in the upcoming Marvel film “Captain America: New World Order” and will be played by Israeli actress Shira Haas. The movie will reportedly be released in 2024.
Sabra, a term used to refer to Jews born in the occupied territories, is also the name of the neighborhood in Lebanon where Israeli forces headed the massacre of thousands of Palestinian refugees in the Sabra & Shatila Massacre in 1982. Created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Sal Buscema, Sabra made her first brief appearance in the 1980’s “Incredible Hulk #250” before making her official debut in 1981’s “Incredible Hulk #256.”
In one of the comics, it says: "It has taken the Hulk to make her see this dead Arab boy as a human being. It has taken a monster to awaken her own sense of humanity."
The glorification of violence against Arabs and Muslims specifically Palestinians in more broad mass media has a long and ugly history in the West and has grave consequences for its continuous portrayals. It seems like Marvel’s dark and racist past is making an appearance in the present.
Despite the online criticism, Marvel has yet to comment on the situation.
