I feel like people are just looking for something to complain about these days

At least she posted it with a real photo of Dr. Hawking in his chair and not one of the horrid drawings of him "stepping free" from his chair. FFS, for many people with physical disabilities, the chair represents the freedom to go places and be part of their community.

In her defense- She is Israeli. English is not her first language. Give her a break.

I don't have a problem with it.

Oh FFS!!! Some people will go out of their way to be offended.
I took her comments as a show of respect for someone she obviously admired.
Nothing more.

Love me some Gal, Love me some Hawking...Non story here....As for hawking’s ascension, when someone passes I look to The First Law of Thermodynamics for comfort. It states that heat is a form of energy, and thermodynamic processes are therefore subject to the principle of conservation of energy. This means that heat energy cannot be created or destroyed. His energy will return to the stars from whence it came and will always be with us.

It's the one with the pic of him leaving his chair behind that irritates me. Those ones clearly make it sound like death is better than being disabled and that angers me.

If spirits exist he is zooming through the cosmos in his chair, running over the toes of other spirits

Considering that I don't know this woman and can't read her mind, I will just assume that she posted this with only the best intentions

I don't see anything wrong with her post. It's valid from her perspective and appears to be honoring Dr. Hawking.
The problem as I see it is people trying to force their perspective on others and not realizing it is just an opinion. Just mellow out, damn.

Screw 'em! I'm on Gadot's side and don't think she meant any harm. Ableist language is a part of the current "politically correct" that is not always correct.
I was kicked off the FB Atheist Experience page for telling another man that his elaborate theist belief system was pretty "lame." I didn't mean his idea couldn't walk, had a wheelchair, or had anything to do with mental illness. I'm sure everyone knew this. It might be pointed out that Jesus healed the "lame man" but it depends on what biblical translation you use. Today we might still have a "lame horse" but we do not have a "lame brother." You never learn that someone is in as wheelchair and then hear him called "lame."
The politically correct crowd simply wanted to make Gal Gadot wrong in what she said about Hawking. She was not wrong and if he was here himself, Hawking might even agree. Since Gadot is Jewish we might find in her remark a desire to place Hawking in a spiritual afterlife that to Christians appears to be the final goal. This would be the part I do not agree with.

Hawking. (Grammar Nazi).

You could make that comment about anyone dying a slow and painful death. Or frankly anyone who died.

I don't think she was referencing disability in a negative fashion. But than she doesn't seem like an arse either?

I don't see the offensiveness in it.

Nothing is wrong with that statement at all, unless you try to over think it and fit it into a box too small for the concept.

Ablist? How about just compassionate? Stephen suffered and was diminished by his ailment. He overcame and transcended it, and he certainly should never have been thought "less than" in terms of human value because of it. But any sane person would not want to be 98% paralyzed, to not even have the experience of scratching your own itches.

So yes I'm glad Hawking is beyond the reach of his suffering, just as I'm glad my late wife and son are beyond the reach of their ailments. Has nothing to do with my having a diminished estimation of their human worth. Sheesh.

I still love all of his work, many of his quotes and that he lived longer than any other human who has had ALS.

Rest in peace? Nothing wrong especially when you are saying this about a person who denounced religions and gods.

I think what she said was brilliant.

When you call people bigots when they’re not, you’re rendering the term meaningless. It’s like when certain people called both Trump and Bernie sexists.

We should focus on what Hollywood actors and actresses say. They are known for their wisdom. ?

Without reading other thoughts yet, I imagine it comes from pure kindness & respect. Hawkins must have bourn pain and so many barriers, his brilliance is undeniable, and his fortitude in putting his research and theories, as well as teaching & lifelong learning are worthy, also, of respect. To be dead or to have energy continue in another form, who knows, but I doubt that Hawkins would mind the words or sentiment, he might have bantered about it. The man is dead, we miss him, what’s the fuss, no one is sprinkling fairy dust or saying “let us pray”. Each mourns loss in their own way.

As one who spent more than two years going from hospital bed to wheel chair and back again, and in one AGAIN for a couple of months, I find absolutely nothing wrong or ablist about her statement.

And as someone pointed out, to the disabled, a wheel chair = freedom.