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1 month ago
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Gigi and Bella Hadid are two of the most famous and iconic supermodels of their generation.
While the pair have had incredible success on the runway, their older sister Alana Hadid is now carving out her own place in the public eye for a very different reason.
The 40-year-old - who is the second daughter of Palestinian-American real estate mogul Mohamed Hadid and his first wife Mary Butler - has emerged as one of the most outspoken pro-Palestinian activists in America since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.
In addition to leading fundraisers and speaking at pro-Palestine protests, Alana has become the creative director of Watermelon Pictures - a Palestinian film distribution company 'dedicated to amplifying the voices of underrepresented filmmakers.'
The company uses the slogan 'from the river to the screen,' which is a play on the controversial political phrase, 'from the river to the sea.'
Alana Hadid, who is the older half-sister of supermodels Gigi and Bella, has become one of the leading activists against Israel
The 40-year-old spends a lot of her time supporting the Palestinian cause and has even joined a Palestinian film company called Watermelon Pictures
Alana's parents Mohamed and Mary divorced in 1992 and Mohamed went on to wed Dutch model Yolanda Hadid in 1994, with the couple welcoming daughters Gigi and Bella as well as son Anwar before divorcing in 2000.
Much like her younger sisters, Alana has dabbled in the fashion industry over the years.
She spent time working in styling and PR, before launching an eyewear line in 2016 followed by a women's fashion brand in 2017.
However, Alana seems to have finally found her true calling in Palestinian activism.
Her father Mohamed - who is now a multi-millionaire real estate developer - was born in 1948 in the city of Nazareth, Palestine (now Israel).
As an infant, his family fled to Lebanon and then Syria due to the Israeli-Arab war of 1948, when the Jewish state was founded.
Around 760,000 Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes in the Israeli-Arab war of 1948.
Many who stayed were killed, and in 2013 mass graves of Palestinians - some containing women and children - were uncovered in the Jaffa district of Tel Aviv.
Alana is pictured with father Mohamed Hadid (left), mother Mary Butler, and her sister Marielle (far right) in 2019
Mohamed is pictured with second wife Yolanda Hadid and their two daughters Bella (left) and Gigi (right)
Alana and Bella are both known for being outspoken when it comes to supporting Palestine
Bella, brother Anwar, Marielle, and Alana are all pictured together
All five of Mohamed's children have been outspoken when it comes to the Palestinian cause - which has landed the family in hot water at times.
Last October, supermodel Gigi was attacked by the State of Israel's official X (formerly Twitter) account after she condemned the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians.
She sparked backlash after sharing a meme to Instagram that said, 'There is nothing Jewish about the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians.
'Condemning the Israeli government is not anti-Semitic and supporting Palestinians is not supporting Hamas.'
Responding to the meme, the State of Israel posted, 'Have you been sleeping the past week?
'Or you just fine turning a blind eye to Jewish babies being butchered in their homes? Your silence has been very clear about where you stand. We see you.'
Alana spent time working in styling and PR, before launching an eyewear line in 2016 followed by a women's fashion brand in 2017, but has now shifted her focus to activism
That same month, Mohamed was criticized for sharing an infographic to Instagram that compared Israel to Nazis.
The post - which has since been deleted - read that the Nazi Party had been 'founded on Aryan supremacy' while Israel was 'founded on Jewish supremacy.'
It also compared the Nazi's 'signature method' of the 'gas chambers' to Israel's 'signature method' of 'carpet bombing.'
According to TMZ, the blowback that the Hadid family have gotten for their pro-Palestinian stance left them fearing for their safety.
Sources told the publication that the family had received horrific threats via email, social media and their phones after their numbers were leaked online.
At one point, Mohamed was reportedly considering going to the FBI about the issue.
In 2022, Bella claimed that she'd lost friends and modelling jobs over her support for Palestine.
Alana's father Mohamed sparked outrage last year when he shared an infographic (pictured) to social media comparing Israel to Nazism
Alana's younger sister Gigi was slammed by the State of Israel last year for resharing a post (pictured) about Israel and Palestine to Instagram
Speaking to Libyan-American journalist Noor Tagouri, the model explained: 'There have been so many brands that have stopped working with me. A lot of friends have also turned their backs on me.'
She added: 'I had friends that completely dropped me, like even friends that I had been having dinner with on Friday nights, for seven years, now just won't let me into their house.'
Despite the backlash against her family, Alana has forged ahead with Watermelon Pictures.
The company's biggest hit so far has been the documentary Israelism, which follows two Jewish American filmmakers - including one former IDF soldier - as they learn more about the treatment of Palestinians and revise their own views on Israel.
The documentary topped the Apple TV charts upon its release and has won multiple awards, but it's also been criticized by Zionists and a number of pro-Israel groups, including StandWithUs, who said that it 'spread anti-Jewish ideas.'
Alana has emerged as one of the most outspoken pro-Palestinian activists in America since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7
Alana's film company Watermelon Pictures has distributed the acclaimed documentary Israelism, which has picked up awards and topped the Apple TV charts
Another Watermelon Pictures film, Walled Off, uses an art hotel created by English street artist Banksy to explore Palestinian history and media bias against Palestinians.
'We are changing the ways in which we are viewed,' Alana told The Cut in an interview last month.
'The entertainment industry has been dehumanizing Palestinians and Arabs for so long. I have friends who are actors and they could only get the role of the "terrorist" or the "taxi driver," but never just the human, just the guy,' she continued.
'I want to see a Palestinian romantic comedy. We want to see Palestinians in the mainstream.'
Reflecting on the backlash she's received from the pro-Israel crowd at times, Alana said, 'I'm never surprised by the vitriol — by the hatred.'
She continued, 'You're not silencing me by trying to discredit me or telling me I'm ugly or something. If I'm the ugliest one in the hottest family in the world, I'll take that.'
What does 'From the River to the Sea' mean?
The song 'From the River to the Sea' is protest chant sung by supporters of Palestine.
In English the full lyrics are 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,' a reference to the land between the Jordan River which borders eastern Israel and the Mediterranean Sea to the west.
The chant has become a battle cry in recent months, commonly heard at pro-Palestine rallies in Britain and across the West.
Many Jewish people see the song as a call for genocide and the abolition of the Israeli state.
The Anti-Defamation League says it is 'fundamentally a call for a Palestinian state extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, territory that includes the State of Israel, which would mean the dismantling of the Jewish state.'
It adds: 'It is an anti-Semitic charge denying the Jewish right to self-determination, including through the removal of Jews from their ancestral homeland.'
However, supporters of Palestine say the chant is a call for peace and equality, and an end to the Israeli dominance over the territories of Gaza and the West Bank.
They argue it is a cry for Palestinian people to be able to live free and equally across the whole region that used to be known as British Palestine, not to dominate the region.
English (US)