Israel-Hamas war: Alicia Keys issues statement after backlash over paragliding Instagram post
The ‘Empire State of Mind’ singer said on Instagram that the one thing she would do if she ‘wasn’t afraid of anything’ would be paragliding
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Alicia Keys has clarified that an Instagram post she shared that referred to paragliding was “completely unrelated” to the Israel-Hamas war.
The “If I Ain’t Got You” singer shared a post on Monday (16 October), in which she posed wearing a black and green leather motorsports-style jacket.
She wrote in the caption of the now-deleted post: “What would you do if u weren’t afraid of anything??? Tell me your truth…”
Keys, 42, then added: “I’ve had my eyes on paragliding…”
Social media users quickly informed the singer that the post could be considered insensitive given the context of the Israel-Hamas war.
On Saturday (7 October), the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched its largest-ever attack on Israel, which killed more than 1,000 people.
Paragliders were used by Hamas during their deadly attack.
An organisation named Stop Antisemitism called out Keys in a post on X/Twitter, asking if her mentioning of paragliding was a “sick ode” to the Hamas terrorists.
Keys – full name Alicia Augello Cook – deleted the post and shared a short statement to her Instagram Story late on Monday night, telling her followers that the mention of “paragliding” was totally unrelated to the conflict.
“The post I shared earlier was COMPLETELY unrelated in any way to the recent devastating loss of innocent lives,” she wrote.
“My heart has been breaking….I pray for and stand for peace,” she concluded.
The Independent has contacted Keys’s representatives for further comment.
Israeli-American talent manager Guy Oseary – who has worked with Madonna, U2 and Red Hot Chili Peppers – stepped in to show support for the singer in an Instagram post responding to the backlash.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members)
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 4 month free trial (3 months for non-Prime members)
Oseary told his followers that Keys was “horrified” when she learnt what the word implied and immediately took the post down.
“There’s talk of an antisemitic post that my dear friend Alicia Keys had up on her Instagram,” Oseary began.
“I can confirm to anyone in my community that needs to hear it: it’s NOT true. There was a specific word in her post that our community at this very painful time find very triggering, but it was absolutely not connected in any way.”
He added: “I spoke to Alicia and she was horrified to learn what the word implied and immediately took it down. Alicia has always been a fighter for all human rights. I’ve had a front-row seat for over a decade of seeing her positive influence in the world. Her humanitarian work reflects her empathy and her heart.
On Saturday, the Metropolitan Police launched an appeal to find two women who were seen wearing images of paragliders at a pro-Palestine march in London.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments