The official Twitter account for the state of Israel posted an image of Bella Hadid at a pro-Palestinian march in New York on Sunday and accused the supermodel of advocating “throwing Jews into the sea.”
Hadid, whose father is Palestinian, joined the pro-Palestinian march as the worst period of violence between Gaza and Israel since 2014 continued. Since last Monday, Israel has launched more than 1,000 air and artillery strikes into Gaza, killing at least 188 Palestinians, including 55 children, the Associated Press reports.
The State of Israel’s official Twitter account, managed by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, responded, writing “When celebrities like [Bella Hadid] advocate for throwing Jews into the sea, they are advocating for the elimination of the Jewish State.”
“This shouldn’t be an Israeli-Palestinian issue. This should be a human issue,” the tweet added. “Shame on you.”
When celebrities like @BellaHadid advocate for throwing Jews into the sea, they are advocating for the elimination of the Jewish State.
This shouldn't be an Israeli-Palestinian issue. This should be a human issue.
Shame on you.#IsraelUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/PJQHT90cNy
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) May 16, 2021
No footage posted to social media shows Hadid calling for any harm to Jewish people. But the official Israel Twitter account noted that it was referring to videos of the supermodel chanting the decades-old slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
The slogan has been used by Palestinian activists across the world, and it refers to the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea, which mark the geographic and political boundaries of the state of Israel.
Palestinian organizers have long argued that the phrase is a chant in support of the human rights and self-determination of Palestinian people living within those borders. Israel has labeled the chant as antisemitic, interpreting it as a call for the abolition of the state of Israel.
The official Israel Twitter account made a similar interpretation under its screenshot of Hadid’s Instagram.
“For those of you who don’t know, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” is a phrase used by those who call for the elimination of Israel (from the river to the sea….),” the account tweeted.
Hadid has been outspoken on social media about her support of Palestinian causes. She and her sister Gigi Hadid have shared several infographics and personal statements on their Instagram accounts.
“I love my family, I love my Heritage, I love Palestine. I will stand strong to keep their hope for a better land in my heart,” she said in one Instagram post.