YIKES

Israeli Model Bar Refaeli Takes Off Hijab in Ad Promoting ‘Freedom’

Sparking widespread condemnation.

Israeli model Bar Refaeli has sparked widespread condemnation for her participation in an ad in which she removes a hijab to promote “freedom,” according to a Wednesday report from BuzzFeed News. In the ad, first released on Oct. 29 by Israeli clothing company Hoodie, Refaeli is first seen with her face covered by a hijab and a niqab, alongside a Hebrew caption reading, “Iran is here?” She then strips out of the hijab and niqab, to the tune of a song that says, “It’s all about freedom.” The tagline for the campaign is “Freedom is basic.”

Almost immediately, the ad drew criticism on social-media sites, with users calling for partner organizations to drop Refaeli. “I felt like vomiting,” one woman told BuzzFeed. “I sat there telling myself MAYBE there’s a different message I’m not getting from this. I told myself there is NO WAY that someone so famous would do something so blatantly Islamophobic, but I found no justification.” “This has to be the most ignorant and racist ad I’ve ever seen and I can’t believe a whole company approved this,” another woman said on Twitter. “I’m disgusted and at a loss of words.” Refaeli and Hoodies both deleted their posts on Instagram, BuzzFeed notes, and a Facebook page linked to Hoodies was deleted.