Gwyneth Paltrow draws 'Gwynocide' backlash over luxury tower ad in Israel linked to settlement developer
The Oscar-winning actress and Goop founder appears in a commercial for a twin-tower project in Herzliya, prompting global condemnation as activists point to the developer's holdings in an occupied West Bank settlement.
The spot
Gwyneth Paltrow is the face of 51 Park, two 51-storey towers planned in the coastal city of Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv. Filmed in New York, the ad shows a chauffeur asking, 'New York?' and Paltrow replying, 'No, Herzliya,' before scenes of Pilates pools, wine-tasting rooms and multimillion-dollar penthouses. The campaign was curated by the Israeli group Melisron.
The 'Gwynocide' backlash
Within days, the spot triggered a storm on social media. Paltrow’s profiles filled with thousands of protest comments, and the actress was branded 'Gwynocide' in a nickname carried by the Guardian. Alana Hadid, sister of models Bella and Gigi Hadid, publicly contested the choice, and activists highlighted the gulf between the advertised luxury and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and southern Lebanon.
Developer's settlement ties
Melisron also manages several commercial properties in Ma'ale Adumim, one of the largest Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The settlement is built on land from which Bedouin communities were forcibly evacuated, according to international observers. A 149-page Amnesty International report released earlier this year accuses the Israeli government of a state-funded campaign of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
The violence of settlers is not an anomaly, but an integral part of an organized state policy.
Echoes of Scarlett Johansson
Paltrow is not the first Hollywood figure to face fallout over a deal linked to West Bank settlements. In 2014, Scarlett Johansson lost her ambassadorship with Oxfam after signing as a testimonial for SodaStream, which at the time manufactured its home carbonation devices inside the Mishor Adumim settlement.
Propaganda amplification
Cyber-security analysts note that the outrage was amplified by networks of coordinated accounts associated with Iranian digital propaganda, which has long aimed to promote boycotts of Israeli companies. Paltrow, who has Jewish ancestry on her father's side and has previously expressed support for families of Israeli hostages, has not yet issued a public response.
