Last week, Selena Gomez announced on her Instagram that she was taking a break from social media in light of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, stating that making social media posts wouldn’t be of assistance.
However, her followers quickly labeled her a hypocrite, pointing out that despite her usual emphasis on humanity and kindness, she remained silent on Israel’s actions in Gaza, specifically its carpet bombing. Furthermore, she faced criticism for allegedly making the situation about herself and being deemed an ‘attention-seeker.’
In response, numerous followers decided to boycott her beauty brand, ‘Rare Beauty.’ In the following days, Rare Beauty’s official Instagram account posted about the ‘Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza’ and pledged donations to support humanitarian efforts in the region.
While social media and news outlets initially praised Selena Gomez for her apparent dedication to humanity, a closer examination revealed that Rare Beauty’s post was a strategic attempt to mislead people into thinking Gomez was contributing to Palestinian civilians.
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The post, titled ‘Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza,’ was intentionally misleading. The caption of the post explicitly mentioned that Rare Beauty would be donating to Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance, and blood bank service.
Moreover, the post, while touching on countering Islamophobia, made no reference to the brutal attacks on Gazan civilians by Israel. Instead of condemning these inhumane attacks and advocating for a ceasefire, the caption clarified that Rare Beauty would be supporting Israel.
In essence, while Rare Beauty’s posts featured the name of Gaza, the organization’s support was directed towards Israel. This deliberate misinformation has led to the loss of followers and sparked calls for a boycott of Selena Gomez and her brand due to this unethical marketing tactic.
It is crucial to note that Israel’s actions in Gaza, including the bombing of hospitals and refugee camps, have resulted in the tragic death of over 10,000 Palestinians, a significant number of whom are children.