Gwyneth Paltrow is drawing criticism online after appearing in a promotional campaign for an upscale residential tower being developed in Herzliya, Israel. The controversy follows the Oscar-winning actress’s discussion of her political views during a June 2 episode of her Goop Podcast. Speaking with Trae Stephens, co-founder of military technology company Anduril, Paltrow described herself as politically independent.
“I’m pretty centrist, and my husband thinks I’m a Republican—which, I’m not a Republican. I don’t feel anything right now, to be totally honest with you,” she said. “I feel like I’m completely an independent.”
Those remarks resurfaced after the advertisement was released, prompting a wave of criticism across social media. Although Paltrow did not share the advertisement on her own Instagram account, critics flooded the comments sections of her recent posts after the campaign was released. Some users posted Palestinian flags and “Free Palestine” messages in multiple languages, while others accused the actress of promoting luxury development amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
“You truly have to feel nothing to promote genocide,” one Instagram user wrote.
The campaign, released Wednesday, promotes 51 Park, a luxury high-rise development in Herzliya, a coastal city north of Tel Aviv. The 51-story tower is being built by developer Aviv Melisron, with residences reportedly priced as high as $10 million, according to Novara.
In the commercial, Paltrow begins her day in a lavish apartment overlooking the city skyline. She prepares coffee in a sleek kitchen before heading out for a jog through a nearby park.
“Who decided mornings should be so early? Even my coffee needs a coffee,” she says.
Later in the ad, Paltrow remarks, “There’s a reason the world’s most iconic buildings are by a park.”
After completing her run, she tells a driver, “51 Park.”
“New York?” he responds.
“Herzliya, Israel,” Paltrow answers.
According to Gabi Attal, founder of the Israeli creative agency responsible for the campaign, the commercial was filmed in New York City and designed to showcase what he described as “the future of luxury living in Herzliya’s Israel.”
Announcing the partnership on LinkedIn, Attal praised the actress’s image and global recognition.
“To bring this architectural masterpiece to the Israeli audience, we needed a figure who effortlessly embodies international elegance, a premium lifestyle, and uncompromising quality. Enter Academy Award, Emmy, and Golden Globe winner Gwyneth Paltrow.”
The advertisement was originally shared by Aviv by Melisron on YouTube and Instagram. While the company’s initial posts drew relatively little attention, reposts of the commercial quickly went viral and sparked widespread criticism online.
The campaign quickly generated backlash online, with critics arguing that the ad’s focus on luxury living was insensitive given the ongoing war in Gaza.
In September 2025, the United Nations Commission concluded a two-year investigation and stated that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians. The commission found that Israel had carried out “four of the five genocidal acts defined by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide” and further described “the ongoing genocide of the Palestinians” as “an internationally enabled crime.”
Israel has also been accused of genocide by several human rights organizations and is currently facing a genocide case before the International Court of Justice. Israeli officials have repeatedly denied the allegations, saying the country’s military campaign is aimed at defeating Hamas.
Against that backdrop, many social media users condemned Paltrow’s involvement.
“Gwyneth Paltrow promotes $10M penthouses in Herzliya while Gaza burns and Lebanon bleeds. While children are buried under rubble in Gaza, while Lebanese families flee Israeli airstrikes, while Gazans starve under total blockade, she is fronting an ad campaign for ’51 Park,’ a luxury apartment complex in Herzliya, Israel,” one X user wrote.
Another described the campaign as “deeply and unspeakably sinister.”
Some commenters drew comparisons between the commercial’s depiction of affluent everyday life and director Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar-winning film The Zone of Interest, which centers on a family living adjacent to a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust.
Among the public figures criticizing the campaign was Alana Hadid, sister of models Bella and Gigi Hadid.
“Dude, the level of unhinged capitalism is f—ing astounding. Brutal. Girl. Have you opened a newspaper or watch the news. This is not even tone deaf it’s actually complicit.”
Hadid later shared a repost of the advertisement to her Instagram Stories, adding a message encouraging followers to block Paltrow’s account. Actress Geraldine Viswanathan also weighed in on the controversy, commenting, “Oh my god,” while singer-songwriter Cat Power questioned whether the advertisement was generated using artificial intelligence, writing, “Is this Ai???”
Makeup influencer Matt Bernstein was among those who criticized Paltrow’s involvement, saying in a video posted online, “You are too rich to be shilling for the apartheid apartments.” He added, “The level of greed and depravity is truly incomprehensible.”
Other users likened Paltrow’s involvement to another high-profile luxury development project that has recently drawn controversy. One commenter compared the actress to Ivanka Trump, who has faced criticism over plans to develop a luxury property on previously undeveloped land off Albania’s coast.
The proposed project, backed by Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, has sparked protests and opposition from activists in the region.
The backlash also comes amid broader international scrutiny of Israel following years of conflict in Gaza, as well as military confrontations involving Lebanon and Iran. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that majorities in many countries held unfavorable views of Israel, with 67% of respondents expressing negative opinions compared with 25% who viewed the country favorably.
Paltrow was raised in an interfaith Jewish-Christian family and has previously spoken publicly about celebrating Jewish holidays including Hanukkah. Following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, she was among a group of Hollywood figures who signed a letter urging then-President Joe Biden to help secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.
Criticism of Paltrow continued to spread across social media following the ad’s release.
Influencer Ian Lightfoot also criticized the campaign, calling it “one of the most dystopian things I’ve ever seen.” Food influencer Mary Christine Papadimos similarly condemned the advertisement, contrasting its luxury imagery with the humanitarian conditions faced by civilians in Gaza.
“The ability to ignore human suffering remains her most consistent luxury,” another user wrote. “Nothing says ‘wellness’ quite like beachfront denial.”
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
