Yves Saint Laurent faces backlash for ad featuring antisemitic Palestinian rapper

(Israel Hayom via JNS) — French fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent has ignited a firestorm of controversy by selecting Palestinian rapper Marwan Abdelhamid, notorious for his antisemitic statements, as the face of its latest restaurant campaign.

This has prompted calls for a boycott from Jewish organizations and customers worldwide. Abdelhamid is known by his stage name Saint Levant.

YSL’s new campaign, which debuted Monday evening, promotes “Saint Laurent Sushi Park,” the brand’s new Japanese dining venture in Paris, developed in partnership with chef Peter Park.

Abdelhamid, 24, has recently ascended to prominence in the global music scene while simultaneously becoming a source of controversy due to his antisemitic rhetoric.

In November, he incited outrage during a performance in Amsterdam by publicly endorsing attacks against supporters of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team, declaring, “This isn’t the first time they [the Jews] come to a country that isn’t theirs and start shit.”

Born in eastern Jerusalem to parents of diverse heritage (Algerian, French, Palestinian and Serbian), Abdelhamid spent his formative years in Gaza and received his education at an American school.

His stage name, which creates a wordplay between “Saint Levant” and “Saint Laurent,” may help to explain his selection for the current campaign.

The choice of Abdelhamid has elicited forceful responses from Jewish organizations, which have initiated calls for a brand boycott. Across social media platforms, numerous followers are inundating the brand’s pages with expressions of outrage, incorporating hostage symbols and Israeli flags.

“You’re going to lose many customers,” wrote one follower on the brand’s Instagram page, while another contributed: “I’m selling all your bags, even though they’re now worthless.”

Critics highlight a pattern of contentious choices by YSL, including its previous selection of Dua Lipa, an English and Albanian singer, known for her criticism of Israel, as the face of its Libre perfume campaign.

This isn’t Abdelhamid’s inaugural fashion industry collaboration; two years ago, he filled the role of Dior’s ambassador to the Arab world. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, he stated: “Everything I do is focused on Israel and based on the Palestinian struggle.”

Originally published by Israel Hayom.