About Gigi Hadid Palestine connection: How her father's family was ‘kicked out’ by Jewish family they gave shelter to

Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid's father Mohamed Anwar Hadid along with his parents had to flee Palestine. After that, they went to Syria as refugees.

Supermodel Gigi Hadid recently shared an Instagram post talking about the 'unjustifiable tragedy' that is the war between Israel and Palestine. Several celebrities have extended their condolences as well as support for either Israel or Palestine. However, Gigi and her younger sister-model Bella Hadid have a special connection with Palestine. (Also Read | ‘Terrorizing of innocent people is not in alignment with…. free Palestine,’ Gigi Hadid condemns Hamas attack on Israel)

How Gigi and Bella are connected to Palestine

Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid are daughters' of Mohamed Anwar Hadid.

Gigi's father Mohamed Anwar Hadid was born in a Palestinian Muslim family in 1948 in Nazareth to Anwar Mohamed Hadid and his wife Khairiah Hadid. From his mother's side, he claims descent from the 18th-century Arab ruler of northern Palestine Dahir al-Umar. Her mother is former supermodel-reality star Yolanda Foster. Both Gigi and Bela are half-Palestinian and half-Dutch. Gigi's real name is Jelena Noura Hadid and Bella's is Isabella Khairiah Hadid.

When Gigi and Bella's father spoke about why they had to leave Palestine

Gigi's father along with his parents had to flee Palestine due to the 1947–1949 Palestine War. His father, Anwar Hadid, said he did not want the family “to live under the Israeli occupation,” as per a Washington Post profile. His mother and father walked for two nights to reach the Lebanese border and they were provided shelter as refugees in Syria.

As per a 2015 report by Mondoweiss, he had explained how they became refugees. “Thats how we became refugees to Syria and we lost our home in Safed (city in Northern Israel) to a Jewish family that we sheltered when they were refugees from Poland on the ship that was sailing from country to country and no one would take them… they were our guest for 2 years till they made us refugees and they kicked us out of our own home. That my history.. Strange thing. That I and my family would do it again,” he had said.

Gigi empathises with Palestinians and Jewish people

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Gigi shared a post. She wrote, "My thoughts are with all those affected by this unjustifiable tragedy and every day that innocent lives are taken by this conflict too many of which are children. I have deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation, it's a responsibility I hold daily. I also feel a responsibility to my Jewish friends to make it clear, as I have before: While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of Jewish person."

Gigi continued, "The terrorizing of innocent people is not in alignment with & does not do any good for the 'Free Palestine' movement. The idea that it does has fueled a painful, decades-long cycle of back&forth retaliation (which no innocent civilian, Palestinian or Israeli, deserves to be a casualty of), and helps perpetuate the false idea that being Pro-Palestine = antisemitic."

She concluded, "If you are hurting, as I share my condolences today with my loved ones, both Palestinian and Jewish, I'm sending you my love & strength whoever and wherever you are. There are a lot of complex, personal, and valid feelings, but every human deserves basic rights, treatment, and security; no matter their nationality religion, ethnicity, or where they were born. I know my words will never be enough or heal the deep wounds of so many but I pray for the safety of innocent lives, always." Bela has so far not reacted to the ongoing Israel-Palestine war.

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