'All Eyes on Rafah' has gone viral on Instagram, worldwide joining the ask for a ceasefire in Gaza and seeking an end to Israel's ongoing war on Palestine. Rafah, a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip, was brutally bombed by Israeli forces, killing many civilians. While music industry legends like The Weekend and Macklemore have been advocating for the safety of Palestinians, artists like Lady Gaga and, most recently, Dua Lipa have also joined this protest.
One name that has been missing from this call for a ceasefire and peace has been Taylor Swift. Swifties, the ardent fans of the American singer-songwriter, have now taken it upon themselves to urge the pop star to address Palestine and urge a ceasefire. Several fans have started a movement—#SwiftiesForPalestine—asking Taylor Swift to Speak Now.
While there have been several fans who have been urging the pop star, who is close friends with the Hadid sisters, supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid (whose family hails from Palestine and have been advocates for peace in the area), to join the dissent and ask for a ceasefire in Gaza; Swift has been swiftly silent on the issue. The closest the pop star came to speaking or supporting the issue was attending American Muslim comedian Rami Yousef’s comedy show - The celebrated comedian donated the earnings from his last 12 shows of the tour towards relief work in Palestine. This was misconstrued by several people as Taylor attending a fundraising show in support of Palestini.