Billie Eilish slammed for saying ‘hi Israel’ in promo video

Billie Eilish received a wave of backlash from anti-Israel advocates for starting a video with "hi Israel" in a recent promotion for her new album.

Billie Eilish in Chanel during the Oscars arrivals at the 92nd Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, February 9, 2020. (photo credit: MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS)
Billie Eilish in Chanel during the Oscars arrivals at the 92nd Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, February 9, 2020.
(photo credit: MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS)
A promotional TikTok video for the Israel market by indie pop sensation Billie Eilish for her new album "Happier Than Ever" in which she says “hi Israel” has raised the ire of Israel haters.
“Hi Israel, I’m so excited that my new album, Happier Than Ever, is out now,” she said in the 20-second clip.
 
The Israellycool blog reported that the innocuous greeting was met with a barrage of online reaction criticizing Eilish for acknowledging Israel’s existence.
One responder wrote: “Educate yourself and see what Israel are doing for Palestinian children [sic].”
Another wrote “Billie, it’s occupied Palestinian land, not Israel.”

 
People called her a "Zionist" for recognizing Israel during the clip. 
 

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Others criticized those reacting, saying that the reaction was unnecessary.

Happier Than Ever is distributed in Israel by Universal Music Group.