The New York Times has received significant criticism after publishing a full-page ad by the WorlD Values Network attacking the three women for supporting Palestinian rights and condemning Israel’s assaults on Palestine.
Lipa and the Hadid sisters – who are Palestinian-American – have been vocal in their support of Palestinian rights on social media.
Bella Hadid in particular has been using her platform to share information about Palestine, and posted images of herself attending a #FreePalestine protest.
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In an extraordinary move, the official Israeli Twitter account posted a series of tweets publically attacking Hadid.
Like the NYT ad, the tweets have been criticised for targeting an individual, with CNN reporter Hilary Rosen writing, “when an official government account attacks a supermodel for speaking out against them, I think they’ve lost the thread.”
The NYT ad was paid for by a group called the World Values Network.
The World Values Network has previously attacked New Zealand singer Lorde, taking out a full-page Washington Post ad against her after she canceled a 2018 concert in Tel Aviv. Similarly, they took out a NYT ad against Natalie Portman – who is Israeli-American – when she refused to accept an Israeli award.
this full page ad published in the NYT today??? pic.twitter.com/NGtygtEinD
— Maffy (@matthewduchesne) May 22, 2021
The ad accuses the Hadids and Lipa of supporting Hamas and of anti-semitism for critiquing the actions of the Israeli government.
The fact that the New York Times decided to run the ad has been widely criticised on Twitter. One user said the three women should sue the publication, adding “expressing solidarity with the Palestinian ppl is not a crime.”
Emmy-award-winning Al Jazeera journalist Laila Al-Arian also Tweeted criticism of the NYT.
This ad in the @nytimes which looks like a threat against these 3 women for their support for Palestinian rights was paid for by Shmuley Boteach, whose previous ads accused Palestinians of child sacrifice and John Kerry of anti-Semitism. What are the standard for running ads? https://t.co/meLpckxEeu
— Laila Al-Arian (@LailaAlarian) May 22, 2021
I ask in good faith if NYT has standards for who can buy ad space because wtaf is this https://t.co/ozFQPzbIqz
— Frankie Huang 黄碧赤 (@ourobororoboruo) May 22, 2021
Lipa herself has spoken out against the ad, and the New York Times.
She said, “I utterly reject the false and appalling allegations that were published today in the New York Times advertisement taken out by the World Values Network.”
“This is the price you pay for defending human rights against the Israeli government whose actions in Palestine both Human Rights Watch and the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem accused of persecution and discrimination.
— DUA LIPA (@DUALIPA) May 22, 2021
“The World Values Network are shamelessly using my name to advance their ugly campaign with falsehoods and blatant misrepresentations of who I am and what I stand for.”
“I stand in solidarity with all oppressed people and reject all forms of racism.”
Bella and Gigi Hadid have not yet spoken about the ad.
