"Ignorant, stupid, horrible" Bieber and Curtis slammed over using Palestine photos in support for Israel
SINAR DAILY REPORTER
SHAH ALAM - Popstar Justin Bieber came under fire for his recent actions on Instagram, where he shared a message in support of Israel amidst a backdrop of destruction in Gaza City.
Social media users has accused him of insensitivity and a lack of awareness regarding the complex and sensitive situation in Gaza, with many labelling the Baby singer as “ignorant”. On X user outright called him out: "Right so he’s not just stupid but actively horrible thanks for confirmation Justin Bieber!".
Bieber's original post, which featured the words "Praying for Israel" against the backdrop of the destruction in Gaza City, ignited a firestorm of criticism. The choice of words and imagery caused outrage among those who viewed it as a one-sided and simplistic expression of support.
In response to the backlash, he eventually removed the post. However, he replaced it with a somewhat similar message, once again stating "Praying for Israel." This time, though, he refrained from including any photographs of the conflict's aftermath, opting for the app's default options instead.
Hollywood actress Jamie Lee Curtis also found herself in a similar controversy on Instagram, where she posted a photo of Palestinian children in a message supporting Israel. Her post, which included an emoji of the Israeli flag in the caption, sparked heavy criticism, with many labeling her behavior as "ignorant" with some even calling her out for "can't even do wrong things right".
The photograph Curtis shared was taken by Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times and depicted Palestinian families seeking refuge with their children from the northern Gaza Strip to UNRWA schools inside Gaza City. The image showed the children fleeing from bombs in Gaza, their fearful expressions directed towards the sky.
However, Instagram users swiftly pointed out the apparent irony of her post, highlighting that the background signage was written in Arabic, not Hebrew. Furthermore, the original caption clearly identified the children as Palestinian and the photographer was a Gaza-based Muslim. This raised questions about Curtis's understanding of the context and the intent behind her post.
Curtis removed the photo and issued a statement acknowledging her error. She replaced it with an image of two children holding hands, accompanied by the caption "In war, all children should be protected."
One X user with the handle @platano_padre summarised the two events in a one post: "Justin Bieber and Jamie Lee Curtis deleting their instagram posts after discovering the pics used are from Palestine are textbook examples of selective outrage".
