After Spanish actress Penelope Cruz posted an Instagram story showing released Palestinian prisoners reuniting with their families for the first time, Israeli model Bar Refaeli felt compelled to respond. In a sharp Instagram story of her own, she made clear exactly what she thinks about the implied comparison between the release of Palestinian prisoners and the return of Israeli hostages.
In the story she posted, Refaeli wrote: "Penelope Cruz, I'm sure you mean well, but when you compare the release of 20 Israeli hostages who were brutally kidnapped from their homes while asleep, or from a party while dancing (while more than 1,000 of their friends and family members were murdered!) to the release of 2,000 convicted terrorists!!!! What are you trying to say? What's the message? I can understand that you're happy this war – we never wanted! – Is over, but this is what you chose to message the world?"
The video that sparked the controversy
The video Cruz posted showed scenes of Palestinian prisoners being released and returning to their families. She did not include a caption or explicit commentary, but the sharing itself was perceived in Israel as a political statement.
This is not the first time the Hollywood star has expressed solidarity with the Palestinian side; Cruz previously sparked controversy when she signed a letter supporting "Free Gaza."
The 20 living hostages who had been held in Gaza since October 7, 2023, finally returned to Israel on Tuesday.
As part of the ceasefire agreement mediated by President Donald Trump, approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners were released simultaneously, including about 250 who had been convicted of serious offenses, including murdering Israelis, though most were administrative detainees without convictions.
