Gigi and Bella Hadid are two of the most famous and iconic supermodels of their generation.
While the duo have enjoyed immense success on the catwalk, their older sister Alana Hadid is now carving out her own space in public life for a very different reason.
The 40-year-old – who is the second daughter of a Palestinian-American real estate magnate Mohammed Hadid and his first wife Mary Butler – has become one of the most outspoken pro-Palestinian activists in America since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.
In addition to her role as a fundraiser and speaker at pro-Palestinian protests, Alana has become creative director of Watermelon Pictures, a Palestinian film distribution company “dedicated to amplifying the voices of underrepresented filmmakers.”
The company uses the slogan ‘from the river to the screen’, which is a play on the controversial political phrase ‘from the river to the sea’.
Alana Hadid, the older half-sister of supermodels Gigi and Bella, has become one of the leading activists against Israel
The 40-year-old spends a lot of time supporting the Palestinian cause and has even joined a Palestinian film company called Watermelon Pictures.
Alana’s parents Mohamed and Mary divorced in 1992, and Mohamed married Dutch model Yolanda Hadid in 1994. The couple had daughters Gigi and Bella and son Anwar before divorcing in 2000.
Like her younger sisters, Alana has immersed herself in the fashion industry over the years.
She worked in styling and PR for a while, before launching an eyewear line in 2016, followed by a womenswear brand in 2017.
Yet it seems that Alana has finally found her true calling in Palestinian activism.
Her father Mohamed, now a multimillionaire and real estate developer, was born in 1948 in the city of Nazareth, Palestine (now Israel).
As a baby, his family fled to Lebanon and later to Syria because of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, when the Jewish state was founded.
Approximately 760,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
Many who remained were killed and in 2013 mass graves of Palestinians, some containing women and children, were discovered in the Jaffa neighborhood of Tel Aviv.
Alana is pictured with father Mohamed Hadid (left), mother Mary Butler and her sister Marielle (far right) in 2019
Mohamed is pictured with his second wife Yolanda Hadid and their two daughters Bella (left) and Gigi (right)
Alana and Bella are both known for being outspoken when it comes to their support for Palestine
Bella, brother Anwar, Marielle and Alana are all pictured together
All five of Mohamed’s children are outspoken supporters of the Palestinian cause, which has sometimes caused problems for the family.
Last October, supermodel Gigi was attacked by the official X account (formerly Twitter) of the State of Israel after she condemned the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians.
She received widespread criticism after sharing a meme on Instagram that read, “There is nothing Jewish about the way the Israeli government treats Palestinians.
“Condemning the Israeli government is not anti-Semitic and supporting the Palestinians is not supporting Hamas.”
In response to the meme, the State of Israel posted the following message: “Have you slept this past week?
“Or are you okay with turning a blind eye to Jewish babies being slaughtered in their homes? Your silence has been very clear about where you stand. We see you.”
Alana worked in styling and PR for a while before launching an eyewear line in 2016, followed by a womenswear brand in 2017, but has now shifted her focus to activism
That same month, Mohamed was criticized for sharing an infographic on Instagram comparing Israel to Nazis.
The post – which has since been deleted – said that the Nazi party was “founded on Aryan supremacy” while Israel was “founded on Jewish supremacy.”
The Nazis’ signature method of “gas chambers” was also compared to Israel’s “carpet bombing.”
According to TMZThe backlash the Hadid family faced for their pro-Palestinian stance left them fearing for their safety.
Sources told the publication that the family had received horrific threats via email, social media and on their phones after their phone numbers were leaked online.
At one point, Mohamed considered taking the matter to the FBI.
In 2022, Bella claimed she had lost friends and modeling jobs because of her support for Palestine.
Alana’s father Mohamed caused outrage last year when he shared an infographic (pictured) on social media comparing Israel to Nazism
Alana’s younger sister Gigi was criticized by the state of Israel last year for sharing a post (pictured) about Israel and Palestine on Instagram
Speaking to Libyan-American journalist Noor Tagouri, the model explained: ‘There are so many brands that don’t want to work with me anymore. A lot of friends have turned their backs on me too.’
She added: ‘I have friends who have completely abandoned me. Even friends who I had dinner with on Friday nights for seven years now just won’t let me in anymore.’
Despite negative reactions from her family, Alana continued with Watermelon Pictures.
The company’s biggest hit to date is the documentary Israelism, which follows two Jewish-American filmmakers, including a former IDF soldier, as they learn about the treatment of Palestinians and rethink their own views on Israel.
The documentary topped the Apple TV charts upon its release and won multiple awards, but was also criticized by Zionists and some pro-Israel groups, including StandWithUs, who said it “spread anti-Jewish ideas.”
Alana has become one of the most outspoken pro-Palestinian activists in America since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7
Alana’s film company Watermelon Pictures distributed the critically acclaimed documentary Israelism, which won awards and topped the Apple TV charts
Another Watermelon Pictures film, Walled Off, uses an art hotel by English street artist Banksy to explore Palestinian history and media bias against Palestinians.
“We are changing the way we are perceived,” Alana said The cut in an interview last month.
“The entertainment industry has dehumanized Palestinians and Arabs for so long. I have friends who are actors and they could only get the role of the ‘terrorist’ or the ‘taxi driver’ but never just the human, only the man,” she continued.
“I want to see a Palestinian romantic comedy. We want to see Palestinians in the mainstream.”
Alana reflected on the backlash she sometimes receives from the pro-Israel group, saying, “I’m never surprised by the vitriol, by the hate.”
She continued, “You’re not going to silence me by disparaging me or telling me I’m ugly or anything like that. If I’m the ugliest in the hottest family in the world, I’ll take that.”