Love Island USA has urged people to “be kind and spread the love”, after an avalanche of hateful social media comments in response to a Jewish man kissing a woman of Palestinian origin on the show.
Elan Bibas, a Jewish Canadian, kissed Huda Mustafa in the Love Island villa after she chose him when asked to select two men that she thought would be the best kissers. Anti-Israel watchers subsequently described the kiss as a “hate crime” and accused Bibas of being a “threat” to Mustafa. Others called for Bibas to be killed, describing him as a “Zio” – a term popularised by former KKK leader David Duke.
Vitriol had already been aimed at Bibas when he entered the show. His Jewish identity was not hidden, and social media users rapidly discovered a picture of him posing alongside an Israeli soldier while on a Birthright trip in 2022. References were also made to the young man sharing a surname with the Bibas family taken captive on 7 October, three of whom – Shiri, Ariel and Kfir – were subsequently murdered.
In a statement from Love Island USA, the show said: We appreciate the fans, the passion for the series, and the amazing group of Islanders who are sharing their summer with us.
“Please just remember they’re real people – so let’s be kind and spread the love!”
In a statement on social media, the Anti-Defamation League said that “it’s blatantly antisemitic to label a Jewish man who has visited Israel as ‘dangerous.
“Attacks on Elan and efforts to villainise him are hateful and baseless.”
Neither Bibas or Mustafa are aware of the backlash to their kiss, as contestants on the reality TV show don’t have access to social media during filming. Noah Sheline, the former partner of Mustafa and the father of their daughter, posted a video on social media urging people to be kind.
“Her going on that show to find love, or whatever you think it was she’s doing, remember she’s still human, she has a daughter, and a life,” Sheline said.
“It’s crazy I have to involve myself in this but I don’t want my daughter’s mom to get out and see this and her mental health goes down a hill.”
