Bella Hadid, one of the most sought-after models on the catwalks today, had been silent for a while about the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Hadid recently used her Instagram platform to urge "humanity and compassion" regarding the violence in a detailed statement posted on October 26, by asking followers to forgive her for her “silence.”
“I’ve been sent hundreds of death threats daily, my phone number has been leaked, and my family has felt to be in danger,” Hadid wrote. “But I can not be silenced any longer. Fear is not an option. The people and children of Palestine, especially in Gaza, cannot afford our silence. We are not brave – they are.”
“My heart is bleeding with pain from the trauma I am seeing unfold, as well as the generational trauma of my Palestinian blood,” the statement read.
“Regardless of the history of the land, I condemn the terrorist attacks on any civilians, anywhere. Harming women and children and inflicting terror does not and should not do any good for the Free Palestine movement. I believe deep in my heart, that no child, no people anywhere, should be taken away from their family either temporarily or indefinitely,” it said.
Continuing her statement, Hadid challenged the prevailing stereotype of Palestinians as mere "terrorists resisting peace."
She highlighted her own family's poignant history, revealing that her father and grandparents were forcibly expelled from their Palestinian home, becoming refugees just nine days after her father's birth in 1948. Hadid emphasized that her family endured 75 years of relentless violence against Palestinians, including brutal settler invasions that resulted in the destruction of entire communities, cold-blooded murders, and the forceful eviction of families from their homes.
She pointed out that the unsettling practice of settlements on Palestinian land persists even today, causing immeasurable pain and suffering.
“We are one, and God has created all equal. All bloodshed, tears, and bodies should be mourned with the same respect,” it said.
“We need to keep pressure on our leaders, wherever we are, not to forget the urgent needs of the people of Gaza, and to ensure that innocent Palestinian civilians are not the forgotten casualties of this war,” it highlighted.
