JTA — Since October 7, Montana Tucker has represented the growing role of social media influencers in the sprawling effort to advocate for Israel. Tucker, who has more than 3 million followers on Instagram (in addition to 9 million on TikTok), has uploaded videos and photos from the communities devastated by Hamas’s attack and from Auschwitz . She has posted speeches at rallies and tried to interview people at campus protests.
At the Grammys in February, she wore a large yellow ribbon over her dress displaying the words “Bring them home.” But her latest advocacy effort for Israeli hostages is dividing her pro-Israel fans — because in addition to featuring the harrowing story of a woman who was taken captive with her husband, the video also promotes a skincare product. “Raz and Ohad have 3 beautiful daughters who did/do everything they can to bring back their dad/ remaining hostages, and take care of their mom,” Tucker wrote in the caption to the video, uploaded on Thursday.
“@freskincare is not only an incredible, clean, and Israeli skincare brand, but it is Raz’s favorite.” The video — and response to it — showcase the thorny questions raised by the melding of influencer culture and pro-Israel advocacy during a brutal war and hostage crisis. Many of Tucker’s followers praised the video and her months of efforts to raise awareness of the captives’ plight, as well as a gesture of goodwill by the skincare brand.
Some others lambasted her for, in thei.
