Israel Supporters Back Zara After Brand Faces Boycott Threats for Featuring Israeli Model

Shiryn Ghermezian

Shoppers carry bags as they leave a Zara store in a shopping thoroughfare in Jerusalem on October 24, 2022. Photo: Ammar Awad

Supporters of Israel have been taking to social media to defend the Spanish fashion company Zara after it was bombarded with hate messages and boycott threats for hiring an Israeli to model its designs.

On Saturday, Zara posted on Instagram a carousel of photos featuring Israeli model Sun Mizrahi in some of its new lingerie looks. Zara’s Instagram account has 61.1 million followers and soon after the post went live, haters of Israel — including backers of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against the Jewish state — flooded the comments section. They wrote “boycott Zionism” and “Free Palestine,” called on shoppers to stop purchasing Zara goods, accused the fashion retailer and model of supporting genocide, and shared the emoji of the Palestinian flag.

“In [sic] sure she k!lled babies every single Zionist has to join IDF [the Israel Defense Forces] for some time men and women,” wrote one Instagram user on Tuesday. Another comment said, “I guess after trying to turn Gaza slaughter & genoside [sic] into a fashion statement, makes sense to be supporting an apartheid model. Anyone has any doubt left the level of complicity here & what role Zara would have placed back during holocaust & SA [South Africa] apartheid?!”

However, pro-Israel activists refused to remain silent and also took to the comments section. Some shared the emoji of the Israeli flag, while others said “I stand proudly with Israel” and applauded Zara for working with Mizrahi. Many additionally noted that the model’s nationality should be irrelevant.

“Great photoshoot that makes me want to buy the whole collection. And to all the commenters from both sides: who gives a flying fk about the origin of the model?” wrote one Instagram user on Sunday. “Let beauty be beauty, wherever it comes from.”

“She is just human being, a woman, and not a nationality or ethnicity or a political statement,” wrote another Instagram user. “She is just a woman with Zara clothes on. All of you who comment any kind of flag project your racism on her and your dichotomy narrow perspective.”

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Photo: Screenshot

Zara and Mizrahi have both remained silent regarding the controversy.

A Tel Aviv native, Mizrahi is the daughter of Israeli former professional soccer player Alon Mizrahi. She was first a fashion design student before becoming a model and was ranked by Vogue as number one on a a list of 11 “standout models” for the spring-summer 2023 season. She has worked with many top designers, including Fendi, Dior, Chanel, Hermes, Bottega Veneta, Jacquemus, Versace, Tom Ford, Michael Kors, and Tommy Hilfiger.