Taylor Swift faces stress from followers to ‘communicate now’ on conflict in Gaza

Taylor Swift is facing pressure from fans to ‘speak now’ on the bloodshed in Gaza – with concertgoers taking Palestinian flags to gigs in Madrid and Lisbon.

Members of the star’s fanbase have started the hashtag ‘SwiftiesForPalestine’ as they urge the singer to break her silence on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Many have shared an open letter calling on the singer to condemn Israeli attacks on Rafah – where 45 Palestinians including women and children were killed in a blaze at a tent encampment on Sunday.

Airstrikes on the area, which was designated a safe zone by Israel, stirred global condemnation, with celebrities including popstar Dua Lipa sharing a viral ‘All Eyes On Rafah’ post on their Instagram.

Swift’s long-term producer Jack Antonoff also posted the image, while the band Paramore, who currently open for Swift in her Era’s Tour, called on fans to support Gaza – piling further pressure on the musician to comment.

Taylor Swift fans attended a show of the sold-out Eras our with pro-Palestine placards and flags

US singer Taylor Swift performs on stage on occasion of her ‘The Eras Tour’ concert at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, 29 May 2024

One banner taken to the show by fans read ‘Taylor, take a stand!’ with the hashtag SwiftiesForPalestine

A picture reportedly shows a fan hanging a Palestinian flag over the balcony at her show in Lisbon this week

Ahead of opening for Swift in Madrid, Paramore called on their fans to donate to Doctors Without Borders, highlighting the work the organisation is doing in Gaza. 

The band wrote on their Instagram story: ‘We do not believe that support for our Palestinian friends and family equals anti-Semitism. 

‘We love our Jewish friends and family and pray for the safe return of the remaining hostages. 

‘That being said, we simply cannot support a genocide. We stand in solidarity with those calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.’

Swift, known for hits such as Cruel Summer and Blank Space, has been labelled one of the world’s ‘most powerful women’.

She has 283 million followers on Instagram, with politicians courting her support which could hold huge sway in the upcoming US election. 

As a 22-year-old at the start of her career, Swift said that she would not speak out about political issues.

‘I follow it, and I try to keep myself as educated and informed as possible. But I don’t talk about politics because it might influence other people. And I don’t think that I know enough yet in life to be telling people who to vote for,’ she told Time magazine in 2012.

She went on to face backlash for not engaging in major political moments in the US such as the Black Lives Matter movement and the 2016 presidential election.

Pictured: Hayley Williams of Paramore opens for Taylor Swift in Madrid

Paramore, who currently open for Swift in her Era’s Tour, called on fans to support Gaza – piling further pressure on the musician to also comment

But she broke her rule when she made her anti-Donald Trump stance and support for the Democrats public ahead of the 2018 mid-term elections.

She went on to endorse Joe Biden in the 2020 election and called on her fans to make their voices heard and vote.

‘This is something that I know is right… I need to be on the right side of history,’ Swift said as she explained why she wanted to share her political views in the 2020 Netflix documentary Miss Americana.

But, Swift has failed to declare her support for Biden in the upcoming election, and has since remained silent on major political issues. 

One concertgoer in a glittery dress held up a sign which read ‘speak now’ with a watermelon – a symbol of Palestinian solidarity

Now she is facing mounting pressure to make her views known on the conflict in Gaza, which erupted after Hamas stormed over the border with Israel on October 7.

Israel previously urged Swift to speak out on the October 7 attacks, highlighting how one of the victims, 19-year-old Roni Eshel, was a ‘huge Swiftie’. 

The teenager, who was an army spotter, was initially believed to have been taken into Gaza but was later confirmed dead.

Terrorists killed some 1,200 Israelis and took around 250 people hostage during their rampage.

Israel’s brutal retaliation, which it says is targeting Hamas, has seen more than 36,000 people killed in Gaza, according to the enclave’s health ministry.