Not for the first time, model and businesswoman Shashi Naidoo has courted controversy for her views over the conflict in the Middle East, now involving the US, Israel, and Iran.
This comes as countries like the UAE and Qatar have been caught in the recent crossfire, which involved the interception of missiles in targeted airstrikes.
Naidoo – who once referred to Gaza as a “sh*thole” – has been vocal in her support of Palestine in recent years.
SHASHI NAIDOO TROLLED OVER US, IRAN CONFLICT
On her social media platforms, Shashi Naidoo voiced her support for the people of Iran, who suffered hundreds of casualties after the US launched its Operation Epic Fury attack over the weekend.
The attack, supported by Israel, was part of US President Donald Trump’s plans to target Iran’s infrastructure, military sites, and senior leaders. Iran retaliated, firing back with missile airstrikes directed at US military bases across the Middle East.
Shashi posted a tongue-in-cheek clip of her sipping champagne, with a caption that read: “People in the Epstein files, watching Iran’s attacks hijack the headlines”.
In another clip, she mocked South Africans who had voiced their frustration at being unable to travel to Dubai, whose air traffic has been suspended after it had intercepted hundreds of missiles and drone attacks.
“God bless the people of Iran”, and “God bless the people of the UAE”, she captioned the posts.
Shashi Naidoo also posted an internet meme featuring Gordon Ramsay criticising an Israeli-born restaurateur. The satirical tagline read: “The tips were promised to us 3 000 years ago”, referring to a Biblical context and the ongoing issue of land ownership between Israel and Palestine.
In a follow-up post, Shashi claimed she had lost hundreds of followers as a result of her views, something she gave the proverbial middle finger to.
Her comments come two years after she was trolled for showing support for Palestine amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
A social media user had sent her a DM that read: “Do you enjoy the way Muslim men treat their wives? Please marry one, and may your days be filled with hell”.
FROM ‘SH*THOLE’ TO SUPPORT
In 2018, Shashi Naidoo made headlines when she called Gaza, in Palestine, a “s**thole” in a lengthy rant. In the same rant, she defended Israel against being called an “Apartheid” state, and accused Hamas of promoting “death and destruction.”
Her posts were labelled Islamophobic, and the model revealed that she had suffered death threats and a call to boycott her businesses.
She issued a teary video apology, stating that she had partnered with the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to visit the country, as well as Israel, on a “fact-finding trip.”
However, Shashi later revealed that Israel had banned her from visiting the country – and access to Palestine – for a decade due to the media attention.
She told South Africa Jewish Report: “After my meeting at the Israeli Embassy, I have been denied access.
“I believe that flagging an individual, whose only intention was to push an agenda of love and light, is dubious.”
Shashi Naidoo added that her mission was not political.
She continued: “My only hope was to meet the people, experience the land, and give aid to those in need. It was never a BDS itinerary. I really am devastated”.
At the time, she vowed to return once the ban was lifted.