29 November 2023 , 16:49
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Gigi Hadid has apologised for "not fact-checking" a post she shared on Instagram in which she accused Israel of being "the only country in the world that keeps children as prisoners of war".
The 28-year-old model, whose father is from Palestine, said she was trying to make the point that Palestinian children are often not given the same rights as Israeli kids accused of the same crime. However, she apologised for using the example of Ahmad Manasra, who was arrested in 2015 for stabbing two Israeli citizens in Pisgat Zeev, an illegal Israeli settlement in occupied East Jerusalem.
Manasra, who is now 21, was arrested at the age of 13 and was interrogated by Israeli authorities. According to Amnesty, he has been in prison since and has developed serious mental health problems. After mentioning his case on social media and facing backlash, Gigi apologised saying she did not "deeply think" about it before reposting.
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The model said she will continue to speak out for the Palestinian cause (Getty Images)
Gigi said that violence and hatred, including anti-Semitism, are never acceptable (Getty Images)The model wrote on Instagram: "As someone of Palestinian descent, the endless heartbreaking news and imagery coming out of Gaza has been painful and often overwhelming. It is important for 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.
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"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."
"My focus was intended to be on human rights issues. This 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," she wrote to her 79.1 million followers.
"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."
She added: "It is well documented, by credible human rights organisations, 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."
The model said she would "continue to pray for the safe return of all hostages and peace and safety for the people of Gaza and Israel." Gigi's father Mohamed Hadid, who fled Nazareth for Lebanon during the 1948 War of Independence, is a well-known luxury real estate developer in Los Angeles.
Gigi Hadid and her sister Bella Hadid have been outspoken supporters of the Palestinian cause. The models have also spoken against anti-Semitism and all forms of violence, including Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, which Gigi said is not in line with the Free Palestine movement.