“I do not support all women,” Khalifa said in response to Iliza Shlesinger’s criticism of the reaction to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Mia Khalifa has lashed out at Iliza Shlesinger after the comedian shared a statement on social media condemning those who have spoken out in support of Hamas amid Israel’s ongoing conflict in Gaza.
On October 7, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza. Israeli officials have said that 1,200 people in Israel were killed in Hamas’ attack, according to the Associated Press, while over 13,000 Palestinians have been killed, officials from the health ministry in Gaza said, the AP reported.
In addition to the lives taken in the initial attack, Hamas took over 200 hostages, including numerous children, with their ultimate release being one of the primary goals espoused by the Israeli government.
Last week, Israeli and Hamas forces engaged in a four-day ceasefire, during which it was agreed that 50 hostages would be released by Hamas in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners from Israel. The deal was, according to President Joe Biden, “reached by extensive U.S. diplomacy,” though he also added that negotiations will continue until all hostages are freed.
The ongoing conflict has led to a fierce international discourse, with many calling for a ceasefire in Gaza to provide relief to the civilians engulfed by the fighting. It has also sparked deeply divided discussion on social media, where public figures who have called for a ceasefire, thrown their support behind Palestinians or Israel or maintained a public silence, have been roundly criticized.
In a post shared on Instagram on Monday, Shlesinger criticized people who had been targeting her with messages over speaking out against antisemitism and highlighting the plight of the hostages.
“This neo liberal wet dream that supporting Hamas or using the word ‘genocide’ when it comes to Israel from 1000s of miles away with no contest makes you look informed or ahead of some social curve is an actual nightmare for those of us who can’t just set this down when the high of being a social media crusader wears off,” she started her lengthy post.
