Israeli supermodel Sun Mizrahi was chosen to lead a new campaign for the Spanish fashion giant Zara, but users on social media found another way to turn her appearance in the campaign into a political tool in the Israel-Hamas war.
In a post published Saturday on the company's Instagram account, Mizrahi showcases one of the season's big trends: slip dresses inspired by lingerie. However, Zara's 61.6 million followers were less interested in what fabric the dress was made of, and most in the comments that focused primarily on Mizrahi's Israeli background, as the daughter of former Israeli soccer player Alon Mizrahi, and on calls to boycott Zara.
"We are witnessing the most shameful massacre in history. Palestinians are killed just for defending their lands," one comment read. Other comments called for boycotting Zara and Israel alongside calls for a cease-fire and the release of Palestine. Conversely, there were comments expressing support for Mizrahi and Israel, including a call for Zara to disable the offensive comments against Mizrahi herself. "The nationality of the model should not become a topic for debate here. She is a citizen, not a politician," one comment read.
Since the outbreak of the war six months ago, the international fashion industry has become a battleground between supporters of the war and its opponents, with controversial slogans on shirts and colorful messages hinting at support for one side or the other. This is not the first time that the public has been called on to boycott Zara since the start of the war in Gaza; In December, the company's holiday campaign was released, which, according to users, reminded them of the bodies piled up in Gaza.
A spokesperson for the modeling agency Inch Models, which represents Sun Mizrahi, said in a statement: "Due to scheduling constraints of the model, who is currently on a flight to New York for a new campaign shoot, unfortunately, we cannot comment on Sun's personal opinions on the situation. But we are confident that she is happy to be the Israeli face so identified with our country around the world, especially in such times."