In response to Israel’s increasing brutality against the Palestinian people, renowned American-Palestinian fashion designer Bella Hadid finally addressed her millions of fans. Supermodel Gigi Hadid, her sister, quickly recognized the most recent wave of violence in the area, but both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli viewers have been waiting for the celebrity’s remarks.
Bella took to Instagram to share a TikTok montage video depicting the increasing destruction in Gaza and the West Bank, along with a lengthy letter outlining her position on the subject. The model said, “I apologize for not speaking sooner. These last two weeks have been incredibly complex and awful, and they have brought attention back to a subject that has been claiming innocent lives and impacting families for decades. I will make it brief today, as I have a lot to say.
Bella also verified recent claims that she and her family received “daily” death threats when their phone numbers were released because of their criticism of Israel and half-Palestinian origin. Bella’s father, Mohamed Hadid, was reportedly thinking of working with the FBI to find the people who were making the threats, according to family-friendly sources. Celebrity half-Palestinian, who shared how these occurrences made her family fear for their safety, declared that she “cannot be silenced any longer” and that “fear is not an option.”
“Our silence is not an option for the people and children of Palestine, particularly in Gaza. They are brave; we are not. The trauma I am witnessing and the generational trauma of my Palestinian ancestry are causing my heart to bleed,” she continued. As I witness the aftermath of the airstrikes in Gaza, I weep with all the moms who have lost their children, the kids who cry by themselves, the fathers who have passed away, the siblings, sisters, uncles, aunts, and friends who will never be able to walk this world again.
“Regardless of the history of the land, I condemn the terrorist attacks on any civilians, anywhere,” she said in her condolences for the Israeli deaths in the October 7 Hamas bombings. Terrorizing people and causing harm to women and children does not and should not benefit the Free Palestine movement. I firmly believe that no person, anywhere, including children, should be separated from their family for any length of time. That applies to both Israelis and Palestinians.
The model, however, was determined to make a clear message highlighting the lengthy history of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. It is crucial to comprehend the suffering Palestinians go through in a world that sees them only as terrorists trying to thwart peace. In addition to being blatantly false, it is hurtful.
“My father was born in Nazareth during the Nakba (the 1948 Palestinian displacement of 750,000 people),” Bella remarked, speaking of her father Mohamed, an American developer of opulent real estate. Nine days after his birth, he and his family were taken from their native Palestine and made refugees; my grandparents were never permitted to return. This happened while he was still in his mother’s arms. My family has seen seventy-five years of bloodshed against Palestinians,” she went on.
Mohamed is just one of the millions of people driven into exile and displaced by Israeli settlement invasions. Palestinians online are pleading with supporters to educate themselves about the lengthy history of their struggle, which spans decades of resistance against Israeli settlements, as more individuals use their social media platforms to combat misinformation and raise awareness.
Bella was a compassionate advocate who urged people to “push” officials to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying, “All religions are peace; it is governments that are corrupt, and intertwining the two makes for the greatest sin of all.”
