Gwyneth Paltrow facing backlash for Israel housing ad amid Gaza war

Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow is facing criticism after appearing in a promotional campaign for a luxury residential project in Israel.

Paltrow, 53, is the face of the “51 PARK” project, a high-end residential development in the coastal city of Herzliya, developed by Israeli real estate company Aviv Melisron.

In a promotional video released by the company, Paltrow is shown preparing for her day in a luxury apartment while highlighting the benefits of living near a park.

“There’s a reason the world’s most iconic buildings are by a park,” she says in the advertisement, before directing a driver to take her to the advertised building.

The campaign has sparked highly polarized reactions online, with many condemning the timing of the commercial and accusing the star of being “tone-deaf” and “complicit” amid Israel’s ongoing attacks in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

Israel’s genocide in Gaza since October 2023 has killed nearly 73,000 Palestinians and injured more than 173,000, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian figures.