In a contentious exchange on social media, the Israeli government has taken issue with Gigi Hadid's recent expression of support for the Palestinian cause amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The half-Palestinian model found herself in the crosshairs of the Israeli government, following her Instagram post addressing the ongoing conflict and asserting that backing Palestinians does not equate to supporting Hamas.
Hadid defended her stance, stating, "There is nothing Jewish about the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians. Condemning the Israeli government is not antisemitic, and supporting Palestinians is not supporting Hamas." Her comment drew attention from both sides of the ongoing conflict.
The Israeli government's official Instagram account responded to the viral post with a stern rebuke, questioning whether she had been ignoring the recent attacks by the terrorist organization. Using their official Instagram handle, the government replied to the supermodel's post saying, "Hi Gigi, the next post is for you."
The account created a mirrored image of Hadid's post, but changed the words to read, "There is nothing valiant about Hamas' massacre of Israelis. Condemning Hamas for what it is (ISIS) is not anti-Palestine, and supporting Israelis in their fight against barbaric terrorists is the right thing to do."
They also posted what appeared to be a bloodied children's room with toys scattered on the floor and a message that read, "If you don't condemn this your words mean nothing."
However, the government's post quickly drew stiff criticism from fans of the supermodel who called the move as 'public harassment'. One wrote, "The official IG account of The State of Israel is publicly harassing Gigi Hadid for her posts that empathized w/ Israelis & Palestinians, & recognized the occupation of Palestinians. This is cringe-worthy behaviour for any country, let alone one that is actively oppressing people."
Another said, "so weird how concerned Israel is about Gigi hadid’s stance when they’re actively in a war right now…"
"“Hi Gigi…we see you” from the State of Israel’s official government account on Instagram towards Palestinian Model Gigi Hadid. THIS IS A THREAT," said another.
Still another said, "Israel Government might be only government who has social media account that they use to bully celebs to support #Gazagenocide. PS- Gigi Hadid just after Hamas attack did condemned it & gave a statement talking abt both #Palestina & #ısraeli."
Following the attack, Gigi said in a lengthy post, "The terrorizing of innocent people is not in alignment with & does not do any good for the ‘Free Palestine’ movement."
She added, "I also feel a responsibility to my Jewish friends to make it clear, as I have before: While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person."
The star concluded her note saying, "There are a lot of complex, personal and valid feelings, but every human deserves basic rights, treatment and security; no matter their nationality, religion, ethnicity or where they were born. 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."
