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Singer and actress Selena Gomez recently came under fire for her recent post about taking a break from social media. The Wolves singer spoke about the "horror, hate, violence, and terror" that is going on in the world that people assumed was about the recent Palestine-Israel conflict. Gomez took to her Instagram stories on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, to post about her hiatus.
"I’ve been taking a break from social media because my heart breaks to see all of the horror, hate, violence, and terror that’s going on in the world," the singer wrote. (This is a part of the complete Instagram story)
It is worth noting that Hamas, a militant organization, attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, by launching rockets at the southern and central cities. Meanwhile, the troops invaded the borders, killing and taking civilians hostage.
Israel, in turn, sent out airstrikes on the Gaza Strip that are still ongoing, as per AP News. They have also ordered a "complete siege," blocking fuel, water, and electricity to nearly 2.3 million civilians.
Selena Gomez receives backlash over her reasoning for a social media break
Selena Gomez expressed why she was choosing to be off social media for a while on October 31, 2023. She also explained why she chose not to comment on the recent violence in the world via her Instagram stories, which was a statement that people connected to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The Only Murders in the Building actress began her statement by saying that her heart broke due to all the terror in the world.
"People being tortured and killed or any act of hate towards any one group is horrific. We need to protect ALL people, especially children, and stop the violence for good," Gomez added in her statement.
While Selena Gomez's words seemed neutral in the beginning, she encouraged her followers to protect each other and advocate for ending violence. However, the part of her statement that enraged netizens was when she acknowledged that her social media post wouldn't create the change she was hoping for.
The Wolves artist noted in her statement that she was sorry if her words "will never be enough for everyone or a hashtag."
"I just can’t stand by innocent people getting hurt. That’s what makes me sick. I wish I could change the world. But a post won’t," she said concluding her statement.
In a separate Instagram Story, Selena Gomez shared a picture of her younger sister Gracie Elliott Teefey, stating what it meant for her to have a younger sister.
"Having a sister every day has made me tragically sick. I would do anything for children and innocent lives," Gomez wrote.
As they pointed out Selena Gomez's massive Instagram following of 430 million followers, netizens called her actions and her statement hypocritical. They noted that she had been an influential advocate for mental health, black lives matter, women's rights, and more, as per Newsweek.
Thus, Selena Gomez not taking a side in a significant conflict rubbed people off the wrong way. They took to X to state that she was "ignorant" and a "coward" with some stating that as a UNICEF ambassador, she needed to "do better."
Letters signed by celebrities about the Israel-Palestine conflict
Many celebrities urged US President Joe Biden to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. According to Variety, more than 2000 artists signed an open letter for the same. These included celebrities like Joaquin Phoenix, Cate Blanchett, Jon Stewart, Kristen Stewart, Susan Sarandon, Mahershala Ali, Riz Ahmed, Ramy Youssef, and Quinta Brunson, among others.
The open letter said:
"We urge your administration, and all world leaders, to honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay – an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages."
A second letter also circulated asking Joe Biden to call for the release of all hostages taken by the Hamas organization. Amy Schumer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chris Rock, Gwyneth Paltrow, Katy Perry, Bradley Cooper, Justin Timberlake, and others were among the celebrities to sign the note, launching a formal campaign called #NoHostageLeftBehind.
As of October 31, at least 1,400 people have been killed in Israel, as per CBS. Meanwhile, more than 8,500 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
