Dua Lipa responds to advertisement in New York Times attacking her for activism on Israel-Palestine

Dua Lipa has responded to a controversial advertisement in The New York Times targeting herself and models Bella Hadid and Gigi Hadid.

The ad was published in response to their vocal support for the Palestinian cause following a flare up in violence between Hamas and Israel. It features a photo of the trio along with the caption “Hamas calls for a second Holocaust. Condemn them now.”

The ad, which appeared in the Saturday edition of the paper, was paid for by the World Values Network, which is headed by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. It labelled them as “mega-influencers” who have “accused Israel of ethnic cleansing” and “vilified the Jewish State.”

Sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid have a Palestinian father, the architect Mohammad Hadid, and have always been vocal about their support for their father’s homeland. Lipa is romantically linked to their younger brother Anwar Hadid.

“I utterly reject the false and appalling accusations,” Dua Lipa said of the full-page ad in a statement posted to Twitter.

“This is the price you pay for defending Palestinian human rights against an Israeli government whose actions both Human Rights Watch and the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem accuse of persecution and discrimination,” she added.

Last week, Bella Hadid was seen at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York City, beckoning calls for fashion brands like Dior to drop her from campaigns. These have not been heeded.

The latest fighting began when on May 10, when Hamas militants in Gaza fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem. The barrage came after days of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Heavy-handed police tactics at the compound and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers had inflamed tensions.

The bombardment struck a blow to the already decrepit infrastructure in the small coastal territory, home to more than 2 million Palestinians. It flattened high-rises and houses, tore up roads and wrecked water systems. At least 30 health facilities were damaged, forcing a halt to coronavirus testing in the territory.

A ceasefire on Friday, mediated by Egypt, ended 11 days of hostilities, during which the Israeli military pounded Gaza with air strikes which it said were a response to rockets fired at Israel by Palestinians militants.

Gaza medical officials said 248 people were killed in the Palestinian enclave, and aid officials have expressed concern about the humanitarian situation there.

Health officials said 13 people were killed in Israel in the hostilities, during which the Israeli military said Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other militant groups fired around 4,350 rockets, many of which did not reach Israel or were intercepted.

— With agencies

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