Playboy has been praised for taking a 'stronger line on Israel' than many American universities after the magazine cut ties with adult film star and influencer Mia Khalifa after she expressed support for the terror attacks carried out by Hamas.
Khalifa wrote several tweets making fun of the unprecedented wave of terror in Israel that has so far killed more than 1,000 Israelis.
In one tweet she laughed about a 'Zionist apartheid regime being brought down by guerrilla fighters in fake Gucci shirts'.
Hamas launched an attack that claimed the lives of 900 people in Israel and injured at least 2,600 in a series of coordinated attacks at the weekend.
On the Playboy website, Khalifa's page now shows a 'Not Found' graphic.
The magazine said: “We are writing today to let you know of our decision to terminate Playboy's relationship with Mia Khalifa, including deleting Mia's Playboy channel on our creator platform,' they wrote in an email to users.
So @Playboy drafts a better statement than Biden and Obama? Oh what a world pic.twitter.com/itPibOVXmt
— Annika H Rothstein (@truthandfiction) October 10, 2023
“Mia has made disgusting and reprehensible comments celebrating Hamas' attacks on Israel and the murder of innocent men, women, and children,' they added.
“At Playboy, we encourage free expression and constructive political debate, but we have a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech. We expect Mia to understand her words and actions have consequences.”
The 30-year-old, who joined the platform in 2022, repeatedly expressed support for the terror group attacks and kidnappings.
Social media users pointed out that the controversial magazine was more condemnatory of Hamas than several elite American universities. Haviv Rettig Gur, an Israeli journalist said: "Playboy has a clearer moral compass when it comes to the legitimacy of targeting innocent civilians, kidnapping children and burning families alive in their homes, than all America’s elite universities."
tfw Playboy issues a better statement than Harvard pic.twitter.com/0D5x1FaOSS
— LB (@beyondreasdoubt) October 10, 2023
In one post to her five million followers on Twitter/X, she asked the attacks, which Hamas have been filming and uploading to social media, be filmed at a better angle so she could watch it better.
She posted: “Can someone please tell the freedom fighters in Palestine to flip their phones and film horizontal.”
In another post the Lebanese-American shared an image of Hamas terrorist armed with guns in a jeep and described it as a “Renaissance painting.”
Following Playboy's decision to cut ties with her she made attempts to defend her tweets.
“I just want to make it clear that this statement in no way shape or form is enticing the spread of violence, I specifically said freedom fighters because that's what the Palestinian citizens are… fighting for freedom every day.”
Despite criticism at the time Khalifa's continued to defend Hamas' actions as justified.
She reposted a message saying, “The United States of America is also a terrorist state.”
The former adult star also attacked celebrity Kylie Jenner for sharing and later deleting a message in support of Israel.
Khalifa wrote: “If true journalism exists, the next person to talk to Kylie Jenner will ask for her opinion on geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and not break eye contact until she can string one coherent sentence together since she wants to take a stance to her 400M followers so badly.”
Earlier this year, Khalifa was criticised for saying that the IDF was 'taught to aim at children' In a one-minute clip, the 30-year-old who was born in Beirut, said that many Palestinians live in multi-generational homes that may contain terrorists and that Israeli forces deliberately "devalue" the lives of all occupants regardless of whether they belong to terror groups.
Meanwhile, other celebrities have shared their support for Israel.
Madonna posted a lengthy statement on Instagram in which she condemned the terror attacks.
She wrote: "Watching all of these families and especially children being herded, assaulted, and murdered in the streets is Heartbreaking.
“Imagine if this was happening to you??" Madonna continued.
"My heart goes out to Israel. To Families and Homes that have been destroyed.
“It’s Unfathomable. Conflicts can never be resolved with violence. Unfortunately, Humanity does not understand this Universal truth. Has Never Understood it.
“We live in a World Ravaged by Hate. My heart goes out to Israel. To Families and Homes that have been destroyed. To children who are lost. To Innocent Victims who have Been Killed. To All who are Suffering or who will suffer from this conflict.
“I’m Praying For you. I am aware that this is the work of Hamas and there are many innocent people in Palestine who do not support this terrorist organization. This Tragic attack will only cause more suffering for everyone. Let us all Pray. For Israel. For Peace. For The World [sic].”
Israeli-born actress Natalie Portman also posted in support of the Israeli people.
She said: “My heart is pounding with love and prayer for the families of all affected.
“My heart is shattered for the people of Israel. Children, women, and the elderly have been murdered and abducted from their own homes. I am in horror at these barbaric acts and my heart is pounding with love and prayer for the families of all affected.”
