Video of model Bella Hadid declaring her support for Israel is a deepfake

What is the claim?

A clip of American model Bella Hadid is viral on social media, alleging that she has declared her support for Israel amid the country's ongoing conflict with Hamas. The clip purportedly shows Hadid saying, "Hi, it's Bella Hadid. On October 7, 2023, Israel faced a tragic attack by Hamas. I can't stay silent. I apologize for my past remarks. This strategy has opened my eyes to the pain endured here, and I stand with Israel against terror. I've taken time to truly learn the historical context. Now with a clear understanding, I hope we can engage in constructive dialogue moving forward. Thank you." 

Social media users shared the clip, which carried Hebrew subtitles, on X and Facebook with the caption: "Bella Hadid stands with Israel." Archived versions of the posts can be accessed here and here. The video was seen on TikTok as well. A TikTok user (archive link) captioned it, “Thank you for supporting Israel.”

Screenshot of claims circulating online (Source: TikTok/X/Screenshots/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the video is a deepfake and has been manipulated using AI to make it look like Hadid has changed her stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Deepfakes use a form of artificial intelligence (AI) called deep learning to make fake videos and photos.

What are the facts?

On running a reverse image search, we found that the clip is taken from a 2016 Global Lyme Alliance event, where Hadid received the Lyme-Free World Gala Award. On October 31, 2016, Global Lyme Alliance posted a video on their YouTube channel, showing Hadid delivering a speech after receiving the award. The caption read, "Bella Hadid's 2016 Global Lyme Alliance New York Gala Speech."

We matched Hadid's attire and the background of the YouTube video to the viral clip, making it clear that the footage is from 2016. Further, on listening to the video, it is clear that Hadid did not make any such statement about the Israel-Hamas conflict. In the original video, we can hear Hadid speaking on an entirely unrelated note about the challenges she faced while growing up with Lyme disease. She thanked her friends and family for their support and encouraged other patients, saying 'you are not alone.'

Comparison of the video frame of the YouTube video and the viral clip. (Source:YouTube/X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

The truth about the viral clip

We noted that Daniel Ben Namer, the CEO of Israeli NGO Shrink the Conflict, shared the video and, in a reply to it, wrote in Hebrew, "Another particularly successful project by Yishai Raziel."

Taking a cue from this, we found a YouTube account named 'Yishay Raziel’, whose bio reads, "Music producer, sound designer and voice actor.” On October 29, Raziel shared the same edited video on his channel titled, “Hi @bellahadid we fixed it for you. #bellahadid #gaza.” Raziel also shared the same video on his TikTok account. Several users on social media claimed that the video had been altered using AI.

On going through his account, we noticed that he has edited several other videos and added the tagline “we fixed it for you.” Videos of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Queen Consort of Jordan Rania Al Abdullah, and Internet personality Basma Wahba have been shared with this tagline.

Speaking to media outlet The Daily Dot, Raziel, a Tel Aviv-based musician, sound designer, and voiceover artist, said that he had made “a voice model of Hadid, then lipsynced the video, which also required some voice acting 'under' the model to complete the effect.”

Hadid’s support for Palestine

Hadid, who is part Palestinian, has repeatedly expressed her support for Palestine. On October 27, 2023, Hadid penned a note on Instagram in support of Palestine, writing, “We need to keep pressure on our leaders, wherever we are, not to forget the urgent needs of the people of Gaza, and to ensure that innocent Palestinian civilians are not the forgotten casualties of this war.” Hadid has been a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights and has also previously marched in protests supporting the 'Free Palestine' movement. A weekly women's magazine originally from Italy, Grazia, published a report on how Hadid has shown her support to Palestinians and Palestine, which is her father's homeland. 

Her sister Gigi has also been very outspoken in her support for Palestine and was recently criticized by the State of Israel Instagram page for a post she shared related to the Israel-Hamas war.

The verdict

A video of Hadid purportedly apologizing for her past remarks and showing her support for Israel is a deepfake. The original video is from 2016, and the audio is edited to show Hadid supports Israel. Moreover, several reports show she has constantly shown her support towards Palestine.