Supermodel Bella Hadid says call to ‘free Palestine from river to sea’ was about Israel, not ‘Judaism’

On May 15, the 25-year-old participated in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York during the conflict between Israel and Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip. She joined protesters in chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which calls for the destruction of the Zionist regime in favor of a Palestinian state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

At the time, Hadid — whose mother is Dutch-born former model Yolanda Hadid and father is Palestinian real estate mogul Mohamed Hadid — shared on social media a live stream video from the demonstration, and that day posted on Instagram in support of “Free Palestine.” She also accused Israel of “colonization, ethnic cleansing, military occupation and apartheid over the Palestinian people that has been going on for YEARS!”
 

The Israeli government’s official Twitter account later charged the model with advocating for the “elimination of the Jewish State” by taking part in the protest. A petition was also launched urging major companies to drop her and her sister, fellow supermodel Gigi Hadid, as brand ambassadors for inciting antisemitism and spreading “misinformation” about Israel.
 

Bella commented on her participation in the protest and the accusations of antisemitism by telling Vogue, “I truly respect Judaism, and I think it’s a beautiful religion.”

“This is about a government system suppressing people,” she continued.