Israeli fashion designer Dodo Bar Or’s clothing lines have been pulled from luxury shopping platforms Net-a-Porter and MyTheresa after a video appearing to compare the Free Palestine movement to ISIS was seemingly shared on her Instagram account.
The controversial clip, which imitates a classic scene from blockbuster film Independence Day, has been slammed by critics as ‘racist’ and ‘Islamophobic’ and appears to have since been deleted by the Dodo Bar Or account.
The edited video begins with ‘Free Palestine’ chants dubbed over shots of civilians in the movie as the alien spaceship hovers overhead, surrounded by a circle of flags including those of Palestine and ISIS.
The Muslim call to prayer is then heard before a building, daubed with the flags of Western states including Great Britain, France, the United States and the European Union, is destroyed.
Messages of ‘The West Is Next’ and ‘#Hamas=Isis #FreeGazaFromHamas’ then appear as the video concludes.
The controversial clip, which imitates a classic scene from blockbuster film Independence Day, has been slammed by critics as ‘racist’ and ‘Islamophobic’ and appears to have since been deleted by the Dodo Bar Or account
The edited video begins with ‘Free Palestine’ chants dubbed over shots of civilians in the movie
As the alien spaceship hovers overhead, surrounded by a circle of flags including those of Palestine and ISIS
Items by the designer were previously categorised and listed for sale on Net-a-Porter and MyTheresa but searches to find them today only return error messages
The designer, who first found fame as an actress in Israel before turning to fashion, ‘draws on her Middle Eastern heritage for inspiration’, according to her biography on her website
It sparked a huge backlash on social media, with many Palestinian supporters urging retailers to remove her products from their stores.
Items by the designer were previously categorised and listed for sale on Net-a-Porter and MyTheresa but searches to find them today only return error messages.
One TikTok user, who reacted to the post in a video of her own, in which the designer’s Instagram handle is visible, told viewers: ‘This video that you have seen is worse than the s*** that came out after 9/11.
‘First of all it’s associating the Free Palestine movement with a vicious organisation, ISIS, which actually kills more Muslims than any other religion.
‘Second, it’s conflating Islam with the Free Palestine movement. Palestine has always been a melting pot with a large percentage of Christians, Muslims and Palestinian Jews.
‘During the segment when you heard the Adhan when the explosion started, that is a Muslim call to prayer that over one billion people respond to five times a day peacefully to reconnect with God.
‘She is actively promoting propaganda of the most vile, bilious, racist, Islamophobic kind worse than the propaganda which got people killed after 9/11.’
Others reacted on social media, with one posting: ‘Respect to @mytheresa_com for removing the disgraceful brand Dodo Bar Or today after their Anti-Islam Insta post. Kudos to all the girls who reported.’
However, there was also a backlash from Israeli supporters angry that her clothing lines had been pulled.
One wrote: ‘@NETAPORTER I am thoroughly disgusted that you removed Dodo Bar Or for saying Hamas is ISIS. She said the same thing President Biden said. I spend over $100k a year with you, but not anymore. I have no words.’
Messages of ‘The West Is Next’ and ‘#Hamas=Isis #FreeGazaFromHamas’ then appear as the video concludes
Another said: ‘The successful Israeli designer Dodo Bar-Or’s designs were removed from various fashion sites simply because she is an Israeli who expressed her devastation following the shocking massacre of children and adults by Hamas.
‘As an Israeli who has been shopping at Net-a-Porter, My Theresa and more, I intend to stop purchasing there. It’s a shame that they are frightened by ‘influential women’ and are dragged into Antisemitic acts.
‘What is worse is that they don’t realize that they are next in line. Hamas will come to the West and massacre them as part of their desire to take over.’
The designer, who first found fame as an actress in Israel before turning to fashion, ‘draws on her Middle Eastern heritage for inspiration’, according to her biography on her website.
The post adds that she made her name with ‘colourful keffiyeh-inspired kaftans’. The keffiyeh is a symbol of Palestinian nationalism, dating back to the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine.
Dodo Bar Or, Net-a-Porter and MyTheresa have all been approached for comment.
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