L’Oreal Model Steps Down Over Anti-Israel Tweets
The first model to appear in a haircare ad while wearing a hijab announced on Monday that she was withdrawing from L’Oreal’s ad campaign after she received criticism for a series of anti-Israel statements she made on Twitter.
“I deeply regret the content of the tweets I made in 2014, and sincerely apologize for the upset and hurt that they have caused,” Amena Khan wrote on her social media platforms. “Championing diversity is one of my passions, I don’t discriminate against anyone. I have chosen to delete them as they do not represent the message of harmony that I stand for.”
Some of the tweets, which were sent during the 2014 war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, called Israel an “illegal state,” claimed the country is full of “child murderers” and accused the country of “Torture. Murder. Rape. Genocide.”
“I recently took part in a campaign, which excited me because it celebrated inclusivity,” she added. “With deep regret, I’ve decided to step down from this campaign because the current conversations surrounding it detract from the positive and inclusive sentiment that it set out to deliver.”
“L’Oreal Paris is committed to tolerance and respect towards all people. We agree with her decision to step down from the campaign,” the cosmetics company told the BBC.
The L’Oreal affair came days after cosmetics competitor Revlon found itself in a similar controversy, as Palestinian-American activist Amani al-Khatahtbeh turned down an award from the company because of its ties to Israeli actress Gal Gadot. A survey of al-Khatahtbeh’s history found that she had released a video claiming that the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were an inside job, and had published articles criticizing the Jewish campus group Hillel for its “Jewish nature” and approvingly citing anti-Semitic white supremacists.
Contact Aiden Pink at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aidenpink
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!