New Delhi: Several Hollywood celebrities have commented on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the recent Hamas attack on Israel. While some have been shunned by social media for pro-Israel posts, others have been cheered and supported for their bold stance. Supermodel Gigi Hadid, who comes from Palestinian descent, and has on numerous occasions spoken about her connection to the state has now shared an Instagram post talking about the 'unjustifiable tragedy'. While many know that Gigi and her sister Bella have roots in the Palestinian state, not many know their deep-rooted connection.
How are Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid are connected to Palestine
Gigi's father Mohamed Anwar Hadid was born in a Palestininan Muslim family in 1948 in Nazareth to Anwar Mohamed Hadid and his wife Khairiah Hadid. From his mother's side, there are claims of descent from the 18th centurey Arab ruler of northern Palestine Dahir al-Umar.
Meanwhile, Gigi's mother is former supermodel-reality stra Yolanda Foster. Both Gigi and Bela are half-Palestinian and half-Dutch. For those unaware, Gigi's real name is elena Noura Hadid and Bella's is Isabella Khairiah Hadid.
Gigi's father fled Palestine during the 1947-49 war. His father, Anwar Hadid, said, as per a Washington Post profile, that he did not want the family, "to live under the Israeli occupation." As per the same report, His parents walked for two nights to reach the Lebanese border and they were given the status of refugees in Syria.
In 2015, he even shared an old picture of his family on Instagram with a note that said, "I was only about 18 month old. After we were expelled from our beloved #Palestine into the Syrian refugee camps .. My dad got a brief job at the university of Damascus in #Syria .. This was our family pictures for a Palestinian Refugee Card. The Hadid Family, my beautiful mother Kharia Daher Hadid. My father Anwar Mohamed Hadid. My sisters Ghada, Raida, Sana, and me. Thank you #Syria for taking us in. And thank you America for allowing All of us to realize our dreams …”
Meanwhile, Gigi took to Instagram on Wednesday where she shared a post that read, "My thoughts are with all those affected by this unjustifiable tragedy and every day that innocent lives are taken by this conflict too many of which are children. I have deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation, it's a responsibility I hold daily. I also feel a responsibility to my Jewish friends to make it clear, as I have before: While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of Jewish person."
"The terrorizing of innocent people is not in alignment with & does not do any good for the 'Free Palestine' movement. The idea that it does has fueled a painful, decades-long cycle of back&forth retaliation (which no innocent civilian, Palestinian or Israeli, deserves to be a casualty of), and helps perpetuate the false idea that being Pro-Palestine = antisemitic."
"If you are hurting, as I share my condolences today with my loved ones, both Palestinian and Jewish, I'm sending you my love & strength whoever and wherever you are. There are a lot of complex, personal, and valid feelings, but every human deserves basic rights, treatment, and security; no matter their nationality religion, ethnicity, or where they were born. I know my words will never be enough or heal the deep wounds of so many but I pray for the safety of innocent lives, always."