A prominent Jewish American leader slammed French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton for hiring model Bella Hadid in their new campaign.
Hadid who expressed anti-Israel views on her social media accounts, some have interpreted as antisemitic, was expected to become the face of a new collaboration of the brand with notable Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
“It is imperative that influential people be held to account for their deeds and words,” Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, told German publication The Algemeiner.
“Ms. Hadid has repeatedly been identified with expressing hate promoting messages and inciting comments,” Hoenline said. “LVMH should be particularly sensitive to this and should disassociate from her. Send a message that there will be no more excuses, no exceptions. Jew hatred will not be tolerated,” he said.
Liora Rez, executive director of StopAntisemitism.org, also spoke with the international weekly, saying she was also saddened by Louis Vuitton’s decision to hire an “ardent antisemite” like Bella to be the face of the brand’s new collaboration.
“Hadid has shown her true colors time and again, sharing her bigoted opinions about Jewish people and Israel with her millions of followers on social media,” Rez said. “With so many beautiful faces to choose from, we question the luxury brand’s choice and ask them to rethink who they want representing them.”
In 2021, during the clashes between Israel and Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip, Bella participated in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York City which called for the destruction of the Jewish State.
She and sister Gigi, who expresses similar views, said Palestinians “experience the same” as Ukraine war victims, after the Russian invasion of that country.
However, the model quietly removed all her previous Instagram posts in which she criticized Israel going back to May 2021, without providing any explanation for doing so.
She did come out against the antisemitic comments made by rapper Kanye West, posting on Instagram that it would be a “disservice” to herself and her loved ones if she did not “speak up.”
Hadid has in the past claimed she had lost jobs over her pro-Palestinian stance.
“There have been so many brands that have stopped working with me. A lot of friends have also turned their backs on me,” the model said in a podcast last August.
