Kendall Jenner, Paris Hilton among celebrities to delete Pro-Palestine content off social media

Several celebrities appear to have toned down their support for Palestinians after deleting posts critical of Israel's brutal bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Though politics is not the domain of celebrity, many, including the likes of actor Idris Elba, comedian Rob Delaney and models Gigi and Bella Hadid, whose father is Palestinian, have been taking to the streets and online to protest against Israeli aggression.

Others, however, have been more hesitant.

On Sunday, American socialite Paris Hilton posted, and then deleted a tweet in support of Palestinians.

Sharing an article by The Guardian about Israel refusing to end attacks on Gaza, she initially wrote:

"This is so heartbreaking. This needs to stop! #SavePalestine #GazaUnderAttack #stopthegenocide," she wrote.

“This hurts my heart. No one should have to live in fear. My heart goes out to the little girl and the other children around her,” she added, sharing a video of a young girl crying after Israeli strikes levelled her neighbourhood.

Paris Hilton was told to delete her tweet and instead post some generic hogwash pic.twitter.com/Qy6qFbV0tH

— #SocialistSunday (@socialistsunday) May 16, 2021

Mere hours later she deleted her tweets and issued a general statement on peace.

“Sending love and light around the world. Praying for peace to make the world a better place for all,” she wrote.

Hilton isn’t the only one to have quietly taken back criticism of Israel's latest attacks on Palestinians.

Model Kendall Jenner uploaded and then deleted an Instagram post criticising those who campaigned for women, LGBTQ rights and racial inequality but “choose to ignore the Palestinian oppression”.

Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton last week shared a Statista graphic from Instagram showing the casualties and injuries among Israelis and Palestinians over a 13-year period. His post came after he said he didn’t want to comment on the topic because he wasn’t educated on the issue.

Later he followed up with a tweet: "I'm devastated at what I'm seeing happen between Palestine and Israel," Hamilton wrote, sharing a savethechildren.net link in his tweet. "I hope and pray that we see an end to the fighting. No child should live in fear of violence; to be cowering under their own beds, hoping its not their house that gets hit next".

“I donated to Save The Children today to support their essential work in Gaza.

I’m not a moron. Don’t do that. I was misinformed by someone close to me which is why the post was removed as soon as I realized. Its unfortunate someone screenshot it and is circulating. I am now getting properly informed on the situation. Hopefully you have grace.

— Ayesha Curry (@ayeshacurry) May 15, 2021

Other celebrities have taken to publicly “educating” themselves on the topic of Gaza.

Basketball player Stephen Curry’s wife Ayesha Curry was criticised after she posted an Instagram graphic from the Israeli military’s official account claiming that “terrorist organisations in Gaza” were the only group responsible for the deaths of Palestinians and Israelis.

After receiving messages criticising her post, Curry removed the post and said she had been “misinformed”.

I’m not a moron,” she tweeted in defence.

“Don’t do that. I was misinformed by someone close to me which is why the post was removed as soon as I realized. Its unfortunate someone screenshot it and is circulating. I am now getting properly informed on the situation. Hopefully you have grace,” she said.

At least 232 Palestinians, including 64 children, have been killed in Gaza since the start of the Israeli bombardment which began on 10 May. More than 6,000 others have been wounded across the Palestinian territories. Israeli authorities have reported 12 deaths in Israel from rocket fire.