Following the devastating attacks in Israel and Palestine, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, American supermodel Gigi Hadid took to Instagram to express her sorrow and her support for the victims and the innocent civilians on both sides who have suffered from the violence.
Hadid, 28, along with her younger sister, supermodel Bella Hadid, have been activists for the Pro-Palestine cause, advocating for an end to the violence and for peace in Palestine. However, as she stated in her Instagram post, the cause she supports, the freedom of Palestine, does not include "the harm of a Jewish person."
The supermodels' connection to Palestine is much more personal, going back to their father and grandfather, making them part-Palestinian Muslims on their father's side.
The Palestine Connection
Gigi and Bella's paternal grandparents, Anwar Mohamed Hadid and Khairia Daher Hadid were Palestinian Muslims; their son, Mohamed Hadid (Gigi and Bella's father) was born in Nazareth (now in Israel). In an Instagram post, Mohamed Hadid described how his parents were forced out of their home in Safad, Palestine (now Israel) to become refugees, fleeing through the desert, along with many others, with their children to safety, fleeing the occupation. In the caption of his Instagram post, Hadid commented, "There is not a day or an hour that I don’t think of Palestine."
Both Gigi and Bella Hadid have a personal connection to Palestine through their father and carry with them the generational trauma of forced resettlement in the face of occupation. Throughout the years, both sisters have advocated for the Pro-Palestine movement, and for an end to what is essentially the Israel-Palestine war.
In her Instagram post, Hadid said that her thoughts and prayers were with everyone affected by the violence, with most victims being mere children.
She wrote that, "As someone whose Palestinian heritage came with the trauma of resettlement, she knew the pain and heartbreak of Palestinian struggle and life under occupation - it is a responsibility I hold daily."
She stated, "I know my words will never be enough to heal the deep wounds of so many, but I pray for the safety of innocent lives, always."
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