'I Used the Wrong Words': Gigi and Bella Hadid's Dad Mohamed Apologizes for Messages to Pro-Israel Congressman Ritchie Torres

Mohamed Hadid, the Palestinian-American real estate developer father of models Gigi and Bella Hadid, has issued an apology after allegedly sending dozens of racist and homophobic messages to pro-Israel New York Representative Ritchie Torres, RadarOnline.com has learned.

"I need to apologize, not for the anger I feel but for the words I used to express that anger," Hadid wrote on his Instagram story on Saturday night. "I intended to express how Mr. Torres is a shill being used by Israel, a state that not only mistreats Black and brown people but pinkwashes their atrocities using their projected gay rights as a shield for their human rights violations."

"My feeling after 76 years of being a refugee from the country where I and my ancestors were born and watching a genocide unfold are at an all time high," he continued. "I am watching United States politicians work as AIPAC messengers of genocide. I used the wrong words to express this anger but the anger is warranted."

"To send Black and brown and other marginalized communities to do the dirty work of two countries who have never respected them is wrong. I apologize to my community for directing the conversation to this, and even for a minute away from Palestine. All eyes on Palestine. Free Palestine."

Torres, who made history in 2021 when he became the first openly gay Black and Latino member of Congress, slammed Hadid's apology in a statement to The New York Post.

"The so-called apology is as fraudulent as the man himself," he said. "Mr. Hadid has been unmasked as a rabid racist to the core, and his pitiful attempt at a 'mea culpa' is fooling no one."

Torres has described himself as "the embodiment of a pro-Israel progressive." Since Hamas' October 7 attack against Israel, he has repeatedly rejected calls for a ceasefire and called claims that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza "blood libel."

According to screenshots obtained by The New York Post, Hadid called Torres a "slave to whites" in a series of direct messages sent from his verified Instagram account.

"You worse than the rats of New York sewage system. They have bigger brains than you. You might get a job as bouncer at gay bar," Hadid wrote. "Make sure you dress as KKK to hide that ugly gray colored face of yours. I know about Bronx," he added.

"You are just unusual Black and colorful mouth for Israeli and AIPAC and looking for payday of over 500K,” he reportedly said in one message, referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbying group.

In response, Torres told The New York Post, "Whether it is dehumanizing me as worse than the rats of the NYC sewage system or telling me to dress like the KKK to ‘hide that gray colored face of yours,’ Mr. Hadid has hurled just about every racist insult at me shorting of calling me the N-word."

"That Mr. Hadid felt so at ease demonizing and dehumanizing a Black member of Congress reveals a tragic truth about our politics: if you are a person of color and pro-Israel, you are fair game for racist invective."

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The Hadids, including Mohamed's daughters Gigi and Bella, have reportedly received death threats for their vocal support of Palestine since Hamas' attack on October 7.

"Israel sees any Palestinian as a 'terrorist,'" Gigi wrote in November. "Any person supporting Palestinian rights as an 'antisemite,' and any Jew that is opposed to the government's actions as 'self-hating' — even telling them to denounce their Judaism. So... everyone's lying and wrong, except Israel? If it wasn't so evil & disturbing, it would be comedic."

Israel publicly denounced Gigi after she shared a pro-Palestine meme that read, "There is nothing Jewish about the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians. Condemning the Israeli government is not antisemitic and supporting Palestinians is not supporting Hamas."