Gwyneth Paltrow was once again at the center of controversy. The Oscar-winning actress and businesswoman appeared in an advertisement for 51 Park, a luxury residential complex in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv. The 51-story project is developed by Aviv by Melisron.
In the promotional video — filmed in New York — Paltrow highlights the location next to a park and then reveals that the building is in Israel. Although she did not share the material on her networks, the campaign caused a wave of rejection. Users accuse her of promoting high-end real estate while the population in Gaza faces a humanitarian crisis.
Paltrow used to define herself as a center figure and avoided clear political positions. Now, activists demand coherence.
He is not the first celebrity to be singled out
Morgan Freeman was the face of Tadiran, an Israeli appliance company that also operates in defense and supplies communication systems to the Israel Defense Forces. Activists have included her in boycott campaigns.
Snoop Dogg promoted SodaStream, maker of carbonating machines. The company had a plant in Ma’ale Adumim, a settlement in the West Bank considered illegal by the international community. Although the plant closed in 2015, human rights organizations criticize its links to cheap Palestinian labor and the displacement of Bedouin communities.
David Schwimmer, the Ross of Friends, was the image in 2022 of Meitav, an Israeli financial firm accused of investments in settlements. Schwimmer has publicly defended the Jewish community and denounced anti-Semitism.
The BDS movement
These cases are frequently referred to by activists of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, which promotes economic pressure against companies linked to the occupation of Palestinian territories or to policies of the Israeli State.
