Selena Gomez has been branded a ‘coward’ by an American-Israeli organization, who have slammed her for ‘taking the popular position’.
The 31-year-old popstar shared her own short message last week about the ongoing conflict saying ‘we need to protect ALL people’ and adding ‘I wish I could change the world. But a post won’t’.
She had also shared a post on her brand Rare Beauty’s page concerning the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Mitchell Bard for the Jewish organization American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise has told TMZ the group is disappointed over her choosing to ‘pacify bullies’.
Speaking to the outlet, Bard said that Gomez had chosen to pacify those looking to boycott her brand by ‘taking the popular position that Palestinians are the victims.’
The 31-year-old popstar shared her own short message last week about the ongoing conflict
Mitchell Bard, seen here, for the Jewish organization American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise has said group is disappointed over her choosing to ‘pacify bullies’
Her brand Rare Beauty posted a maroon square with ‘Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza’ written in white and a long caption which condemned both the October 7 terror attacks and the deaths of ‘thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians.’
The company said: ‘Thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes & millions of civilians have been displaced & left without access to food, water, medicine, or basic necessities for survival.
‘A large number of these victims are children. Palestinian civilians must be protected, period.’
It went on to add: ‘We remain heartbroken by the horrible terror attack against innocent civilians in Israel on October 7th, many of them also children. There is no situation where attacks on civilians are acceptable.
‘We strongly denounce any & all forms of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.’
The UNICEF ambassador had said she was deleting her Instagram on Monday in a post that read: ‘I’m taking a break and deleting my Instagram. I’m done. I do not support any of what’s going on’.
Her brand posted a pic which condemned both the October 7 terror attacks and the deaths of ‘thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians.
It was also reported earlier this week that she had put her name to a letter addressed to President Biden calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The letter, which was also signed by Gigi Hadid and Jennifer Lopez, read: ‘Dear President Biden, we come together as artists and advocates, but most importantly as human beings witnessing the devastating loss of lives and unfolding horrors in Israel and Palestine.’
After Selena disabled comments on her more recent posts, some of her 430million followers went back to her video from October 4 to comment that she should have spoken out about the war due to her role as a UNICEF Ambassador.
Appearing to respond to the backlash, Selena then wrote in a now-deleted Instagram Stories post: ‘I’m taking a break and deleting my Instagram. I’m done. I do not support any of what’s going on.’
The 31-year-old pop star posted then promptly deleted a story reading: ‘I’m taking a break and deleting my Instagram. I’m done. I do not support any of what’s going on’
‘My words will never be enough’: Selena had first announced her ‘break from social media’ on Monday ‘because my heart breaks to see all the horror, hate, violence, and terror that’s going on in the world. We need to protect ALL people, especially children and stop the violence’
Breaking her silence, Selena said her ‘heart breaks to see all the horror, hate, violence, and terror that’s going on in the world’ but argued that a social media post won’t “change the world” as she hit back at criticism.
‘People being tortured and killed or any act of hate towards any one group is horrific,’ she wrote in a statement.
‘We need to protect ALL people, especially children and stop the violence for good. I’m sorry if my words will never be enough for everyone or a hashtag.
‘I just can’t stand by innocent people [getting] hurt. That’s what makes me sick. I wish I could change the world. But a post won’t.’
The two-time Grammy nominee also put up an old snap of her 10-year-old half-sister Gracie Elliott Teefey captioned: ‘Having a sister, everyday has made me tragically sick. I would do anything for children and innocent lives.’