Palestinian-American supermodel Gigi Hadid was criticized for labeling Israel the “only country” that “keeps children as prisoners of war.” Pro-Israel groups called her claims antisemitic; therefore, she withdrew her post.
She has since apologized for failing to “fact-check,” disappointing Palestine advocates who called her out for “disgracefully caving to Zionist pressure and slandering Ahmad Manasra.”
The first post-Palestinian-American supermodel, Gigi Hadid, was criticized for labeling Israel the “only country” that “keeps children as prisoners of war.” Pro-Israel groups called her claims antisemitic; therefore, she withdrew her post.
She has since apologized for failing to “fact-check,” disappointing Palestine advocates who called her out for “disgracefully caving to Zionist pressure and slandering Ahmad Manasra.”
Initial post:
Hadid posted about 22-year-old Palestinian prisoner Manasra, who was detained at 13 in a global uproar case, on her Instagram Story. In July and August 2022, the UN and EU demanded his urgent release.
Gigi claims that despite Ahmed Al-Manasra’s serious health condition, the Israeli occupation abducted him and kept him in solitary. Israeli jails hold hundreds of Palestinian children, suffering.” Her caption read, “Israel is the only country in the world that keeps children as prisoners of war. Palestinians were abducted, raped, humiliated, tortured, and murdered for years before October 7, 2023.
Apology follows:
Gigi’s second apology-call-out echos Palestinian concerns about human rights and freedom to live. “As someone of Palestinian descent, the endless heartbreaking news and imagery coming out of Gaza has been painful and often overwhelming,” Gigi said.
“It is important to me to share real stories about Palestinian hardships, but this weekend I shared something that I did not fact-check or deeply think about before reposting,” the model says. I wanted to demonstrate how Israel undermines international law. She says she wanted to show how Palestinian children arrested by the IDF often don’t have the same rights as Israeli youngsters accused of the same offense.
“Unfortunately, I used the wrong example to make that point, and I regret that,” Gigi says, drawing criticism. I wanted to focus on human rights. I also want to underline that targeting anyone, including Jews, is never OK. Kidnapping innocent people is wrong. Harming Jews is never acceptable. It’s wrong. She said people like herself can want independence and humanitarian treatment for Palestinians and Jewish safety.
The approach affirms that democracy requires equal rights for all, regardless of criminality. Palestinian children, even those guilty of heinous crimes, need the same rights as Israeli children. Credible human rights organizations have documented Israel’s systematic maltreatment of Palestinians. She says she knows these historical issues well because her family, Palestinians, were expelled in the late 1940s.
But Gigi knows that platform power comes with great responsibility. I’m human and make errors, but I take responsibility. I have always opposed misinformation and using the Free Palestine movement to justify anti-Semitism. I owe it to myself and my followers to gather my ideas and communicate them constructively as I raise attention to international law and human rights breaches, she writes.
Gigi concludes that she will pray for the safe return of all hostages and peace and safety for Gaza and Israel.
Gigi is criticized:
Many Palestine supporters accuse the model of deleting her rightful call-outs because they don’t “appeal to her Zionist friends.”
“Gigi Hadid deletes and apologizes for every fact her Zionist friends don’t like. X user: Stop condemning antisemitism and start discussing Palestinian massacres.
Gigi Hadid shamefully bowed to Zionist pressure and slandered Ahmad Manasra; therefore, I pushed for Canada to pressure Israel to release him last year. I conducted the #FreeAhmadManasra parliamentary news conference in spring. Another X user added, “We protested his birthday in January.”
Another said, “Gigi Hadid slandered Ahmad Manasra and regretted spreading his account. Gigi, with all your power and wealth, I will never forgive you for harming our most noble and oppressed.”
