After Outcry, Vogue Removes Gigi Hadid’s Claim That Palestinians ‘Experience the Same’ as Ukrainian War Victims

After Outcry, Vogue Removes Gigi Hadid’s Claim That Palestinians ‘Experience the Same’ as Ukrainian War Victims

The magazine removed the comparison from its Instagram account, but it remains in Vogue‘s news article on its website.

By Shiryn Ghermezian, The Algemeiner

Vogue magazine edited an Instagram post on Monday that amplified supermodel Gigi Hadid’s comparison of Ukrainians suffering amid Russia’s invasion of their country to “those experiencing the same in Palestine,” after social media users slammed the claim as dishonest and offensive.

Hadid, whose father is Nazareth-born, Jordanian-American real estate developer Mohamed Hadid and sister is fellow supermodel Bella Hadid, announced Monday on Instagram that she will donate earnings from her Fall 2022 runway shows to help those suffering from the war in Ukraine, “as well as continuing to support those experiencing the same in Palestine.”

“HANDS OFF UKRAINE. HANDS OFF PALESTINE. PEACE. PEACE. PEACE,” she added.

Vogue uploaded its own Instagram post about Gigi’s decision, which quoted the model’s controversial comparison between Ukrainians and Palestinians.

The magazine removed the comparison hours later, after coming under fire for giving it a greater platform, but it remains in Vogue‘s news article on its website.

“While Gigi is pushing a false political narrative to demonize the world’s only state, Israel is actively negotiating peace between Ukraine and Russia. The appropriation of other people’s pain is truly a new low, come on!” StopAntisemitism.org wrote in response to Vogue‘s post.

Jewish actress Emmanuelle Chriqui also commented on the post, writing, “I can’t believe @voguemagazine is supporting this false and dangerous narrative … well done @voguemagazine [for] fanning the flames of antisemitism.”

Another commentator wrote, “Ukraine doesn’t threaten to erase Russia off the map and then shoots 4500 rockets at it. Hey vogue why don’t you ask Gigi how many of the Palestinian leaders condemned Russia and how many showed support.” Others flooded the comments section and called the comparison “highly offensive,” while some accused Vogue of promoting lies and “inciting more hate.”

“No Gigi, it’s not the same,” Israeli actress and author Noa Tishby said in a video response. “Russia launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign democracy, in an attempt to place it under Russian influence. In that comparison, Israel is a sovereign country and the only consistent democracy in the Middle East and she is the one who’s constantly trying to defend itself against attacks.”

Tishby further blasted Gigi and Vogue for “blatantly making this false and dangerous equivalency, reporting it as fact.” She added, “By trying to co-opt the war in Ukraine, which has nothing to do with Israel, people like Gigi Hadid only harm the real victims, the people of Ukraine, and they help flame anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiments all over the world.”

Gigi and her younger sister Bella have a history of sharing anti-Israel sentiments on social media, such as accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing, apartheid, genocide, and “colonizing Palestine.”

Bella has also attended pro-Palestinian rallies and chanted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” — a slogan commonly used by Palestinian nationalists to call for establishing a Palestinian state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, in lieu of Israel.