Half-Palestinian Gigi Hadid sparks controversy with statement on Hamas-Israel war

Days after Hamas’s blood-curdling attacks on Israel, Gigi Hadid has published a lengthy statement condemning the “terrorizing of innocent people” and sharing her hopes for the future of Palestine.

The half-Palestinian supermodel, 28, who has long flown the flag for the “Free Palestine” movement, spoke out about the atrocities that befell innocent Israelis on Saturday, and whose repercussions are now being felt on the Gaza strip.

And whilst she has shown bravery in speaking out about the war she has, inevitably, attracted critics on both sides.

Some have denounced her for failing to directly decry Hamas and their unspeakable acts, others have accused her of “playing both sides” and "forgetting" her roots.

In the carefully crafted Instagram post, published on Tuesday, the mother-of-one wrote: “My thoughts are with all those affected by this unjustifiable tragedy, and every day that innocent lives are taken by this conflict – too many of which are children.”

She then stressed that she feels “deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation” (the West Bank has been occupied by Israeli forces since 1967), which she described as a “responsibility I hold daily.”

However, she said she also feels “a responsibility” to clarify that while she has “hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person”.

“The terrorizing of innocent people is not in alignment with & does not do any good for the ‘Free Palestine’ movement,” Hadid then insisted.

“The idea that it does has fueled a painful, decades-long cycle of back&forth [sic] retaliation (which no innocent civilian, Palestinian or Israeli, deserves to be a casualty of, and helps perpetuate the false idea that being Pro-Palestine = antisemitic.”

She then conceded that the situation was throwing up “a lot of complex, personal, and valid feelings”, but added: “Every human deserves basic rights, treatment, and security; no matter their nationality, religion, ethnicity, or where they were born.”

Concluding her message, she acknowledged: “I know my words will never be enough or heal the deep wounds of so many, but I pray for the safety of innocent lives, always.”

The post racked up nearly 900,000 likes on Instagram in just 10 hours, but comments were disabled.

Nevertheless, communities were quick to voice their thoughts on Hadid’s stance via other social media platforms.

“I have no problem with Gigi Hadid response [sic],” wrote one X/Twitter user. “This was thought-provoking while condemning the Hamas leadership, but being supportive of our own people.”

Another wrote: “Gigi Hadid's statement emphasizes the importance of distinguishing political issues from harming innocent individuals. It's crucial to advocate for causes while promoting peace and understanding between different communities."

And a third praised the supermodel for an “extremely well-put and measured response” to the horrors that unfolded, while sharing her incredulity that her words could be perceived as controversial.

However, others were far less complimentary in their assessments.

“Can someone remind Gigi Hadid that she’s Palestinian?” wrote one.

“Why is everyone praising Gigi Hadid? Her statement on Palestine was tone deaf ash?!?” said another.

And a third said: “Gigi Hadid is behaving like one of those American stars that don’t want to be cancelled because they supported one side or the other.”

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