- The American-Israeli Cooperative has hit back at Selena Gomez for her stance on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East
- It comes after the singer was criticized last week for her “half-hearted” response to the conflict
- Gomez has threatened to delete her Instagram account following the backlash against her stance
Selena Gomez has been branded a “coward” by an American-Israeli organization, which has criticized her for “taking the people’s stand.”
The 31-year-old pop star last week shared her own short message on the ongoing conflict, saying: ‘we must protect ALL people’ and adding: ‘I wish I could change the world. But not a message’.
She had also shared a post on her brand Rare Beauty’s page about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Mitchell Bard of the Jewish organization American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise said this TMZ the group is disappointed with her choice to “pacify bullies.”
Speaking to the outlet, Bard said Gomez had chosen to pacify those who want to boycott her brand by “taking the popular position that Palestinians are the victims.”
The 31-year-old pop star shared her own short message last week about the ongoing conflict
Mitchell Bard, seen here, of the Jewish organization American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise has said the group is disappointed with its choice to ‘pacify bullies’
Her brand Rare Beauty posted a maroon square with “Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza” written in white and a lengthy caption condemning 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 and millions of civilians have been displaced and no longer have access to food, water, medicine or basic necessities for survival.
‘A large number of these victims are children. Palestinian citizens must be protected, period.”
It added: “We remain deeply saddened by the horrific terrorist attack on innocent civilians in Israel on October 7, many of whom were children. There is no situation in which attacks on civilians are acceptable.
“We strongly condemn all forms of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.”
The UNICEF ambassador had said on Monday that she was deleting her Instagram in a message that read: ‘I’m taking a break and deleting my Instagram. I’m ready. I don’t support anything that’s going on.”
Her brand posted a photo condemning both the October 7 terror attacks and the deaths of “thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians.”
Earlier this week it was also reported 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 people witnessing the devastating loss of life and unfolding horrors in Israel and Palestine.’
After Selena turned off the comments on her more recent posts, some of her 430 million followers went back to her Oct. 4 video to say she should have spoken out about the war because of her role as a UNICEF ambassador.
Selena appeared to respond to the comment, then wrote in a now-deleted Instagram Stories post, “I’m taking a break and deleting my Instagram. I’m ready. I don’t support anything that’s going on.”
The 31-year-old pop star posted and then promptly deleted a story that read, “I’m taking a break and deleting my Instagram.” I’m ready. “I don’t support anything that’s going on.”
‘My words will never be enough’: Selena had announced her ‘break from social media’ for the first time on Monday ‘because my heart breaks seeing all the horror, hate, violence and terror going on in the world. We must protect ALL people, especially children, and stop the violence.”
Selena broke her silence, saying her “heart breaks seeing all the horror, hatred, violence and terror going on in the world,” but argued that a social media post “won’t change the world” while she hit back at criticism.
“People being tortured and murdered, or any form of hatred towards any group, is horrible,” she wrote in a statement.
“We must protect ALL people, especially children, and stop violence for good. I’m sorry if my words will never be enough for everyone or any hashtag.
‘I just can’t stand innocent people getting hurt. That’s what makes me sick. I wish I could change the world. But not a post.’
The two-time Grammy nominee also posted an old photo of her 10-year-old half-sister Gracie Elliott Teefey with the caption, “Having a little sister has made me tragically sick every day. I would do anything for children and innocent lives.”