Selena Gomez is in the midst of a row after being criticized by the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (AICE), a Jewish organization, which called her a “coward”.
The controversy is related to the position of a number of celebrities on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that exploded after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.
Mitchell Bard, a representative of the AICE, expressed his displeasure in statements to TMZ, accusing Selena of giving in to intense pressure to boycott and demonize Israel.
The organization argues that this attitude is damaging and contributes to a biased narrative on the conflict.
The criticism of Selena Gomez comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions and split opinions on the Middle East conflict.
Celebrity involvement around political issues has always been sensitive and public stances often generate strong reactions and debates given the vast fan-bases these people have.
In the case of Gomez, the 31-year-old singer expressed her concern about the conflict on social media, and made it clear that every human life had to be valued and protected, virtually refusing to take a clear side on the issue, which is understandable given the hysteria it generates.
“We need to protect ALL people,” Gomez posted on Instagram.
According to the website, AICE was disappointed by Selena’s decision to “pacify the bullies” who are trying to boycott her cosmetics brand Rare Beauty for “taking the popular position that the Palestinians who have been slaughtered by Israel are the victims”.
Rare Beauty has been under the microscope
Selena Gomez used her beauty brand’s page to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, highlighting the devastating impact of Israeli airstrikes on innocent Palestinian civilians.
In her post, she expressed concern about the numerous deaths and displacement caused by recent events in the region.
The artist, known for being an activist in various causes, used her platform to raise awareness of the ongoing situation, stressing the importance of ending violence and seeking peaceful solutions amidst the crisis in the Middle East.
