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Mohamed Hadid, a renowned figure in the world of luxury real estate and the patriarch of supermodels Bella and Gigi Hadid, finds himself at the center of a heated controversy involving Rep. Ritchie Torres after he made hateful and anti-Semitic social media posts in an online assault against the young congressman,
This conflict, fueled by a series of disturbing messages, allegedly depicts Hadid bombarding Torres with a barrage of racist and homophobic rhetoric over the course of several months. The messages, obtained through screenshots, paint a troubling picture of bigotry and intolerance. Many of the hateful tweets was removed by Hadid
It appears that tensions escalated between the two individuals following Torres’ outspoken defense of Israel in the aftermath of a terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas on October 7th. As Torres, a progressive Democrat, stood firm in his support for the Jewish state, Hadid, reportedly residing in a lavish $4.5 million “cottage” in Beverly Hills, took umbrage at his stance.
One of the messages attributed to Hadid, a 75-year-old developer, reads, “You worse than the rats of New York sewage system. They have bigger brains than you. You might get a job as a bouncer at a gay bar.” This message, along with others, contains derogatory remarks targeting Torres’ race and sexuality, as well as insinuations about his intelligence and worth.
In another tweet, Hadid ranted:
“You are just an unusual Black and colorful mouth for Israeli and AIPAC and looking for payday of over 500K,” Hadid saId in another message, referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group.
Torres, who made history as the first openly gay African American and Hispanic member of Congress, has faced relentless attacks on multiple fronts. Not only has Hadid targeted Torres’ identity and advocacy, but he has also accused the congressman of being a pawn for Israeli interests, alleging that Torres seeks financial gain through his support for Israel.
Meanwhile, Bella and Gigi Hadid, known for their successful modeling careers, have also weighed in on the Palestinian cause. Bella, in particular, has been active in protests and has spoken out about the “generational trauma” experienced by Palestinians.
Gigi’s social media posts advocating for Palestinians have drawn criticism from the Israeli government, further exacerbating the tensions surrounding the family’s involvement in the issue.
Despite the vitriol directed at him, Torres remains steadfast in his convictions, refusing to be silenced or intimidated by Hadid’s hateful rhetoric. He acknowledges the unfortunate reality of facing racism and prejudice within political discourse, especially for people of color who support Israel. Torres emphasizes that such attacks only serve to highlight the ongoing struggle for equality and justice in society.
In a statement to New York The Post, Torres expressed his resilience in the face of bigotry, stating, “Whether it is dehumanizing me as worse than the rats of the NYC sewage system or telling me to dress like the KKK to ‘hide that gray-colored face of yours,’ Mr. Hadid has hurled just about every racist insult at me short of calling me the N-word.” He further highlights the disturbing nature of Hadid’s attacks, revealing the unfortunate truth about the prevalence of racism in contemporary politics.
