John Lewis axes hijab brand over Hamas massacre image

John Lewis has removed a Muslim clothing brand from its website after it emerged that the company shared an image showing Hamas terrorists breaching Israel’s border during the 7 October massacre.

The high street retailer has confirmed to Jewish News that it has withdrawn Bokitta, a Lebanon-based fashion brand, while investigating social media posts linked to the 2023 attacks.

“We were not aware of these posts and have removed the brand while we investigate,” a John Lewis spokesperson told Jewish News.

The decision follows an investigation by The Mail on Sunday, which uncovered an image shared on Bokitta’s official Instagram account on 18 October 2023, depicting a paraglider and bulldozer associated with the Hamas-led attacks.

The image appears to have remained online for more than three years before being removed following the newspaper’s enquiries.

The investigation also uncovered a post by the company’s co-founder, Hala Absi, who described Israelis as “oppressors” on the day of the massacre.

“May God protect our brothers and sisters in Palestine and grant us victory over the oppressors,” she wrote alongside a news clip about the attacks.

John Lewis had reportedly stocked Bokitta products for at least three years, including £35 hijabs and £70 prayer sets.

The revelations have prompted anger from Adam Ma’anit, an Israeli living in Britain whose cousin, Tsachi, was kidnapped on 7 October and later killed by Hamas.

Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, he said: “John Lewis is a national treasure. When our daughter was born, we bought her buggy and baby clothes there.

“To see them entangled with a company that celebrated 7 October is a stab to the heart.

“John Lewis claims to have strong ethics. They need to prove it by severing ties with Bokitta and issuing a public apology.”

Bokitta, founded in Beirut in 2009, describes itself as a fashion brand for Muslim women. It previously operated a pop-up shop at John Lewis’s Stratford store in East London in September 2023.

The company’s website also features articles supporting the Palestinian cause, including one about the Nakba, the displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s establishment.

One article could previously be found through a website menu labelled “Jews” and “Zionist Movement”. The “Jews” label was removed after concerns were raised.

Bokitta has denied supporting Hamas or the killing of civilians, saying the controversial image was not created by the company and had been shared without proper consideration.

“We recognise that it contains imagery associated with the events of 7 October, during which civilians were attacked and killed,” the company said.

“We condemn those attacks on civilians. The image should not have been shared as is, and it has been removed.

“Our intention was solidarity with Palestinian civilians, not support for any armed group or for violence against civilians.”

The company also defended Absi’s 7 October post, saying her words were intended as a prayer for Palestinians rather than an endorsement of the attacks.

Absi separately stated: “I do not support terrorism, and I condemn the killing of civilians, whether Israeli or Palestinian, before, on and since 7 October 2023.”

It remains unclear whether John Lewis will permanently end its relationship with Bokitta or reinstate the brand following its investigation.

Jewish News has also contacted Bokitta for further comment, including questions about why the image remained online for more than three years.

The company had not responded by the time of publication.