The Hadid sisters have adopted a highly public stance in support of Palestine amid the ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza. The sister duo is half-Palestinian, born to the luxury real-estate developer, Mohamed Hadid, who hails from Nazareth. According to TMZ, the family has been receiving death threats for criticising the Israeli government.
Reports claim that the Hadids have been forced to change their phone numbers to protect themselves. Sources close to the family have also revealed that Mohamed is considering involving the FBI to trace the perpetrators behind the death threats.
Gigi’s pro-Palestine social media posts have drawn sharp rebuke from her Israeli fans. Following the Hamas attack in Southern Israel on October 7, she expressed condolences for the loss of Palestinian and Jewish lives in the longstanding conflict. “I have deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation, it’s a responsibility I hold daily,” she said.
The 28-year-old model added, “While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person.” Condemning the attack by Hamas, Gigi clarified that such acts of terrorism lead to the mischaracterisation of Palestinian resistance as anti-semitic. In a later Instagram Story, she shared a quote debunking critics equating anti-Zionism to anti-semitism.
“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,” the post read, prompting a backlash from the Israeli government. Tagging Gigi in a series of posts from their official Instagram account, the government of Israel struck back, “Have you been sleeping the past week?”
With a picture apparently of a child’s bloodied bedroom, the posts continued, “Or are you just fine turning a blind eye to Jewish babies being butchered in their homes? Your silence has been very clear about where you stand. We see you.”
In a post to the Instagram grid, the Israeli government mocked Gigi’s original story. “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,” the government wrote.
Since Hamas launched a surprise attack on the Gaza-Israel border on October 7, death tolls have climbed on both sides to 4,000 with a tightening blockade of the Palestinian territory, calling for demands of immediate ceasefire from across the world.