Pro-Palestinian trolls have branded singer Jessie J a “disgusting Zionist” after she expressed her sympathy for Israeli hostage Evyatar David.
A Hamas propaganda video of David, 24, who appeared emaciated and was digging what he said he feared was his own grave, was released at the weekend.
After viewing the video, the “Pricetag” singer, whose real name is Jessica Ellen Cornish, posted on Instagram: "I just cannot bear the evil in this world. Please God, make the suffering end." She said that seeing the picture was "heartbreaking".
Cornish, whose partner Chanan Safir Colman is Jewish and half-Israeli, also reposted a statement from Jewish-Irish activist Rachel Moiselle that read: “I thought images of starved Jews digging their own graves would forever be confined to history books. To see the past become present is a horror. Never Again. Again.”
The post, shared with her 14 million followers, prompted a flood of angry, and in some cases antisemitic, comments. One Instagram user wrote: "What a shame!" followed by four Palestinian flags, while another accused Cornish of having a hidden agenda, writing: "Doing anything to keep her Zio bosses happy". They followed this with a throwing up emoji and the words: "Juck Fews" (An intentional spoonerism meaning “f*** Jews” designed to circumvent online platforms’ hate speech policies).
Others users claimed that this expression of sympathy showed the musician was a "disgusting Zionist".
Commenting on the backlash, Israeli activist Hen Mazzig wrote: “Apparently, saying that a starved hostage forced to dig his own grave is wrong makes you a 'disgusting Zionist’. Who knew? I’m confused. Starving people is bad, right? Or does that not apply when they’re Jewish?”
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