One Direction's Zayn Malik is the latest popstar to offer his opinion on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Last night, he took to Twitter to post "#FreePalestine," which has caused some of his followers to react with polarized responses.
The two nations have had a historically contentious relationship that escalated over the past two weeks with the residents of Gaza being most affected by Israeli bombings, which Israel calls a response to Hamas aggression. The conflict between the two is ongoing, despite a UN-encouraged temporary ceasefire. The Gaza death toll is now more than 1,000 with the Israeli toll up to 42 deaths, according to the BBC.
The situation in Israel and Palestine is a complex, nuanced and messy one, so those who voice their opinions are generally met with aggression from opposing viewpoints.
Malik's "#FreePalestine" tweet has been retweeted more than 150,000 times. With the One Direction singer having fans from all over the world, the tweet has proven controversial.
@zaynmalik what do you think about Israel?!?! WE'RE SUFFERING TOO YOU KNOW
— shay booshari✌️ (@shaybooshri) July 28, 2014
@MayaPerry95: It's easy to hide behind ur keyboard + talk, we'll see how youd react if rockets were constantly being thrown at you " so true — 1d and 5sos 3 (@nandos_tacos_1d) July 28, 2014
@liamxangel @zaynmalik I'm fan...Even when I say stupid things I still fan.... And this tweet really hurt me... — Lea ;) (@leahayat1D) July 28, 2014
@zaynmalik Zayn please YOU HAVE FANS IN ISRAEL!!!
Malik isn’t the first celebrity to remark on the conflict. Rihanna, Eddie Vedder, Swizz Beats, Waka Flocka Flame, and more have voiced their opinions.
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