In an unexpected and unsettling twist of events, an account supportive of Israel, known as The Mossad: Satirical, Yet Awesome, posted a graphic image featuring Mia Khalifa. The image was manipulated through Photoshop, depicting a scene where the Israeli Occupation Forces, armed with weapons, were visible in the background.
The account goes by the description, “For the duration of Swords of Iron to defeat Hamas terrorists, we are forgoing the satire to share real, up-to-date information. We will win.”
Confronting the disturbing connotations of the image, Mia Khalifa, a vocal advocate for the Palestinian cause, unequivocally expressed her strong reaction to the situation. Quoting the post, she shared on X (formerly known as Twitter),
Genocidal rapists. I’d say I’m disgusted but this sort of rhetoric is on par for Zionists seeing as how Israel is a safe haven state for convicted sexual offenders.
Genocidal rapists. I’d say I’m disgusted but this sort of rhetoric is on par for Zionists seeing as how Israel is a safe haven state for convicted sexual offenders https://t.co/iTvOOcsrQF
— Mia K. (@miakhalifa) November 17, 2023
The responses under her post were inundated with numerous pro-Israel accounts swarming in an attempt to further disparage her. Despite the plethora of negative comments that flooded her replies, Mia stayed resolute in her stance. She shared,
You can say whatever you want about me, I fear nothing in this life more than living with the regret and shame of not doing or saying enough with my platform during a genocide and systemic ethnic cleansing. It doesn’t end with Gaza, they’ve made that abundantly clear.
You can say whatever you want about me, I fear nothing in this life more than living with the regret and shame of not doing or saying enough with my platform during a genocide and systemic ethnic cleansing. It doesn’t end with Gaza, they’ve made that abundantly clear.
— Mia K. (@miakhalifa) November 17, 2023
In the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, the plight of innocent civilians of Gaza, particularly children who lost their lives following heavy bombing, has captured the attention of celebrities around the world. Several Hollywood stars and other public figures, have spoken out to condemn the violence and offer support to victims.
A group of them also wrote an open letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to take action in the midst of the ongoing crisis.
On the other hand, in a recent thread on X, Elon Musk discussed how phrases such as “From the river to the sea” and calls for “decolonization” of Israel are euphemisms for genocide and would lead to suspensions.
As I said earlier this week, “decolonization”, “from the river to the sea” and similar euphemisms necessarily imply genocide.
Clear calls for extreme violence are against our terms of service and will result in suspension. https://t.co/1fCFo5Lezb
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 17, 2023
Many organizations and companies responded by suspending their advertising with X, either due to these comments or due to their adverts appearing alongside antisemitic content.
Musk, known for championing “free speech absolutism” declared his commitment to this principle when he acquired Twitter and rebranded it as X. However, in a recent announcement outlining certain phrases that could result in suspensions, some users questioned the compatibility of these restrictions with Musk’s earlier pledge to uphold “free speech” on the platform.
