The defense of Palestinian rights by American model Bella Hadid has led to criticism from Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, reports Anadolu.
In an interview with an Israeli channel on Wednesday, Ben-Gvir said that the security and mobility rights of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank hold more weight than the rights of Palestine.
“My right, my wives, my children, to wander the paths of Judea and Samaria is more important than the movement rights of Arabs,” said Ben-Gvir, using the biblical term for the occupied territory.
Hadid condemned Ben-Gvir's comments against Palestinians on her Instagram profile, where she has around 60 million followers.
“Under no circumstances, at any moment, especially in 2023, should one life be considered more valuable than another, particularly based on their ethnic background, culture, or unfounded animosity,” wrote Hadid.
The model, whose father is Palestinian, also shared a video from the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem, showing Israeli soldiers in the city of Hebron on the West Bank telling a resident that Palestinians are not allowed to walk on a certain street because it is reserved for Jews.
“Does this remind anyone of anything?” Hadid wrote.
On Friday, Ben-Gvir responded by calling the supermodel a “hater of Israel” and accusing her of intentionally publishing a portion of the interview “with the intention of making me appear racist and evil.”
The warnings from the Israeli minister have already triggered widespread condemnation, including from the US, who labeled it “racist rhetoric.”
According to estimates, approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers live in 164 settlements and 116 outposts in the occupied West Bank.
According to international law, all Jewish settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal.
