As horrifying news keeps coming out about Hamas militants killing Israeli civilians, kidnapping mothers and their young children, and carrying the body of a young woman through the streets of Gaza, Kylie Jenner may regret deleting her pro-Israel Instagram post on Sunday. Her supermodel friend Bella Hadid and other celebrities have been trolled for supporting Palestine in the past.
Indeed, the brutal attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday, which started the Israel-Gaza War, has put famous people like Hadid in a tough spot. For a long time, they have used their fame to support Palestinian rights and criticize the Israeli government for what human rights groups say is its unfair control of the Palestinian territories through military occupation and community settlements.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Hadid’s older sister Gigi Hadid broke the family’s silence. The statement tried to find a middle ground between condemning the horrible acts committed by Hamas and expressing “deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation.” Mohamed Hadid, Gigi, and Bella Hadid’s father and a developer are Palestinian.
I’m thinking of everyone who has been affected by this terrible tragedy. Every day, this conflict takes the lives of innocent people, and too many of them are children, Gigi Hadid wrote on Instagram. “I also feel obligated to make it clear to my Jewish friends, as I have before: I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, but none of them include hurting a Jewish person.”
More than 260 concertgoers were killed by Hamas, and the group has threatened to kill hostages during Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and do other violent things. These actions have changed the public relations equation in this decades-long conflict. A-list stars like Gal Gadot and Natalie Portman, who were both born in Israel, as well as Madonna, Mark Hamill, Amy Schumer, and Jamie Lee Curtis, have had no trouble saying they support Israel.
Some of these famous people’s comments have been reposted by the official X account for the State of Israel. For example, Barbra Streisand said that the Hamas attack was like what happened in the US on 9/11. Kylie Jenner deleted her post in less than an hour, and her mom, Kris Jenner, joined the others in calling Hamas a terrorist group. She also tried to find a middle ground, like Gigi Hadid did.
Kris Jenner said on Instagram Story, “It’s reasonable and logical to be against how the Israeli government treats Palestinians while also calling for the protection of Jews in Israel.” “The pictures of Israelis who have been kidnapped are shocking and heartbreaking.”
Many famous people have been afraid to speak out for the Palestinian side, according to TMZ. Among them is Emma Watson, who is one of a group of stars who have spoken out in support of Palestine through groups like Artists for Palestine U.K.
Others, including the “Harry Potter” star, don’t seem to have said anything. Susan Sarandon and Mark Ruffalo are two notable exceptions because they have never shied away from political controversy. Some links about Israel bombing Gaza and the “prison”-like conditions in the area were reposted by Sarandon. Ruffalo tried to take a more moderate stance, which got mixed reactions.
Ruffalo wrote on X that he is “heartbroken over the unimaginable pain and loss of life and loved ones.” He went on, “Of course, I don’t have answers, but I think it’s important to focus on our shared human existence and reality.”
