Caught in the Crossfire: Israeli Supermodel Sun Mizrahi’s Zara Campaign Sparks Political Debate Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict

Sun Mizrahi, a prominent Israeli supermodel, was recently selected to be the face of a new campaign by global Spanish fashion retailer Zara. This, however, was politically exploited in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as social media users used her participation in the campaign as a political tool. Zara shared a post last Saturday on its Instagram account where Mizrahi is seen sporting a hot trend of the season, a slip dress with a lingerie style. Irrespective of Zara’s massive following of 61.6 million, the followers appeared to be less concerned about the clothing material, and paid more attention to comments that primarily focused on Mizrahi's Israeli heritage, being the daughter of prior Israeli soccer athlete Alon Mizrahi, and demands to boycott Zara. One particular comment condemned the alleged brutalities against Palestinians, calling it the most disgraceful slaughter in history, and protesting against the killing of Palestinians for defending their territories. Several other comments voiced demands for boycotting both Zara and Israel, and urged for a cease-fire and the liberation of Palestine. Meanwhile, some comments also displayed support for Mizrahi as well as Israel, including demands to eliminate the slanderous comments against Mizrahi. One commenter emphasized that the model's nationality should not be debated, reminding that she is a citizen and not a political figure. The global fashion arena has turned into a field of conflict amid the war that erupted six months ago, with clashing supporters and critics displaying controversial slogans on apparel and cryptic statements suggesting preference for a particular side. This isn’t Zara’s first experience with a boycott callout since the commencement of the Gaza war. Back in December, Zara's holiday campaign was also met with backlash as it supposedly reminded users of the casualties in Gaza. On the controversy, a spokesperson from Inch Models agency representing Sun Mizrahi expressed their inability to comment on Sun's personal views due to her current engagements, including a flight to New York for another campaign shoot. Nonetheless, they expressed confidence that Sun was proud to represent Israel on a global platform, especially in such challenging times.