Mia Khalifa has remained silent on social media since her posts about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict sparked backlash, but she is still quietly voicing her feelings on the matter.
Former adult film entertainer Khalifa, 30, lost at least two business deals after expressing support for what she called Palestinian “freedom fighters” following the October 7 surprise attacks on Israelis by the militant group Hamas.
Militants fighting for Hamas swept into Israel, killing more than 1,200 people, according to the Israeli army. Hamas said the attack was retaliation for worsening living conditions for Palestinians under Israeli occupation.
After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently declared, “We are at war,” Israel launched attacks against Hamas, launching Operation Iron Swords. Israel carries out airstrikes on the isolated and densely populated Gaza Strip. Israel has also stopped bringing food, fuel and medicine into Gaza, worsening the humanitarian situation in the tiny territory of 2.3 million people.
Dave Bennett/Getty Images for MAINS
Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed organization that the US considers a terrorist group along with Hamas, fired mortars at Israel on October 8. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) opened artillery fire on Lebanon.
Following backlash over her pro-Palestinian posts, Khalifa has posted relatively little on her social media accounts in the past few days, sharing no new posts on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram or TikTok.
However, she continued to make her feelings known by liking many X-posts that criticized the Israeli government and supported the Palestinian people.
One such post read: “Countries that call Hamas a terrorist group
– USA (born from the genocide of the natives, bombing millions of innocents)
– Great Britain (Big Daddy of Colonial Evil)
– Australia (destroyed the indigenous population in order to exist)
– Japan (history of genocide)
– Israel (…)”
A number of recent reports that came to Khalifa’s attention concerned the Tuesday evening attack on a hospital in the Gaza Strip, believed to have killed hundreds of people. Palestinian and Israeli officials continue to blame each other for the incident, which disrupted President Joe Biden’s planned diplomatic campaign in the Middle East.
Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday morning amid the fallout from the explosion at Al-Ahly Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Health Ministry said the explosion killed about 500 people, many of whom were forced to flee their homes under Israeli evacuation orders.
Palestinian militants and officials said the cause was an Israeli airstrike, while Israel Defense Forces personnel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed it on a misguided rocket fired from the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.
Reaction on social networks
Following the Hamas attack on Israel, Khalifa shared a post on X in which she addressed footage taken from the region.
“Can someone tell the Palestinian freedom fighters to turn their phones upside down and shoot videos horizontally,” she wrote on the platform on October 7.
After days of criticism over her post, Khalifa attempted to clarify her comment in a follow-up statement on October 9.
“I just want to make it clear that this statement is in no way (an incitement to) spread violence,” she said in her post, which has since been deleted. “I specifically said ‘freedom fighters’ because Palestinian citizens… fight for freedom every day.”
Breaking ties
Playboy was one of two companies that quickly cut ties with the star; visitors to her page on the brand’s Centerfold platform now receive a “not found” notification. Playboy announced the end of its relationship with Khalifa in an email to subscribers. He also shared with Newsweek The resignation letter has been sent to Khalifa.
Lebanese-born Khalifa’s initial message on Oct. 7 also led to her public dismissal from her position as an adviser to Red Light Holland, which produces and distributes magic mushrooms.
Red Light Holland CEO Todd Shapiro wrote about this.
“The fact that you condone death, rape, beatings and hostage-taking is truly gross,” Shapiro continued. “No words can explain your ignorance. We need people to come together, especially in the face of tragedy. I pray that you become a better person. However, it clearly seems that it is too late for you.”
A defiant Khalifa responded: “I would say that supporting Palestine has cost me business opportunities, but I am more angry at myself for not checking that I was doing business with the Zionists. My fault”.
In a separate post, Khalifa said: “I just want to make sure there is 4K footage of my people breaking down the walls of the open air prison they were forced into from their homes so we have good options for the history books to write about how they freed themselves from apartheid.
“Please worry about your sad little company lacking direction and purpose before you say my name again. I support all people fighting oppression, now and always, do your research before asking me to invest in your little project, I’m from LEBANON, you’re crazy expecting me to side with colonialism, you fucking weirdo ?
Messages made public
Radio host and wrestling expert Peter Rosenberg also criticized Khalifa’s post in a direct message. Khalifa subsequently made their private correspondence public on her X account, where she currently has over 5.7 million followers.
“I stand with all oppressed people everywhere as long as no one fights for freedom,” Khalifa’s response is seen in the screenshot. “I’m from Lebanon, I’ve survived more IDF (Israel Defense Forces) air raids than your tiny privileged brain could ever handle.
“(You) know nothing but tales about a land that does not belong to you, created by the military, which has nothing to do with your peaceful, God-loving religion. Never disrespect me or my experience in this geopolitical war. you are a man again, a child.”
As of Tuesday, the Gaza Strip’s health ministry said 2,778 Palestinians had been killed and 9,700 wounded, according to the Associated Press, while Israel said more than 1,400 Israelis had been killed and at least 199 people, including children, had been taken into custody. hostages.
Despite concerns about a power vacuum in the Gaza Strip, which has been ruled by Hamas since 2006, due to the violent removal of the Palestinian organization, a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations and a member of Netanyahu’s ruling party said. Newsweek Last week he had “no intention of holding the Gaza Strip” permanently.
Newsweek contacted Khalifa’s representatives by email for comment.