Gigi Hadid is speaking out.
On Saturday (November 25), the 28-year-old model found herself surrounded by controversy after she shared a since-deleted infographic post on her Instagram.
The post called out Israel, stating that it was “the only country in the world that keeps CHILDREN AS PRISONERS OF WAR.”
The infographic mentioned a young man, Ahmed Almanasra, and claimed that he was “abducted by the #Israeli occupation at the age of 12.” It also said that he had been kept in solitary confinement and poorly treated since 2015.
But as it turned out, Ahmed was actually arrested after he stabbed people in Jerusalem and declared that he was hoping to injure Jewish people.
Gigi received a ton of backlash for her post. On Tuesday (November 28), she shared a new statement, saying:
”As someone of Palestinian descent, the endless heartbreaking news and imagery coming out of Gaza has been painful and often overwhelming. It is important to me to share real stories about the hardships that Palestinians have endured and continue to endure, but this weekend I shared something that I did not fact check or deeply think about prior to reposting.”
She went on to say:
“I wanted to show the ways in which international law is being undermined by the Israeli government. In this case, I was trying to highlight how Palestinian children who are arrested by the IDF are often not given the same rights as an Israeli child accused of the same crime would. Unfortunately, I used the wrong example to make that point and I regret that.”
She reiterated what her intentions are, stating that her focus is on human rights issues:
“My focus was intended to be on human rights issues. That is why I also want to reiterate that attacking any human, which of course includes Jewish people, is NEVER OK. Taking innocent people hostage is NEVER OK. Harming someone BECAUSE they are Jewish is NEVER OK. It is wrong. To want freedom and humane treatment for Palestinians and to also want safety for Jewish people can both be important to the same person – including myself.
No matter the crime, when speaking about democracy, everyone should have the same rights – and a Palestinian child, even if he is accused of a horrific crime, deserves the same rights that an Israeli child would have under the same circumstances.”
Gigi stated that she understands the power and responsibility that comes with her platform:
“It is well documented, by credible human rights organizations, that there has been systemic mistreatment of the Palestinian people by the government of Israel. I know these historical issues well because they are the history of my own family, Palestinians who were forced to flee their homeland in the late 1940s. At the same time, I understand that with the power of my platform comes a huge responsibility. I’m human and I make mistakes. But I also hold myself accountable for those mistakes.
I do not stand behind the spreading of misinformation, and have always condemned using the Free Palestine movement as justification for anti-Semitism. I owe it to myself and my followers to gather my thoughts and share them in a more constructive way as I pursue my goal of bringing attention to violations of international law and human rights. Meanwhile, I will continue to pray for the safe return of all hostages and peace and safety for the people of Gaza and Israel.”
