Walmart has decided Jewish kids can be zombies or devils for Halloween, but not Israeli Defense Forces soldiers.
The company sided late Wednesday with anti-Israel activists who complained IDF costumes were unacceptable.
“The costumes are very problematic, and offensive to many people. The Israeli forces are responsible for the continued death and occupation of the Palestinian people. Such a symbol of fear, violence and a long history of dispossession should not be used for entertainment purposes,” Samer Khalaf, the committee president for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said in a statement Wednesday.
The costume originally sold for $27.44 before being pulled from Walmart’s online store. Critics also took issue with an “Arab Sheik” option with a hook-nose.
The Israel Project, a pro-Israel organization based in Washington, D.C., immediately began a social media campaign to counter Walmart’s decision, the Washington Free Beacon reported Thursday.
“Israeli soldiers are heroes. They fight every day to protect innocents from terror. But Walmart removed an Israeli army costume from their website. Why? They surrendered to a vicious hate campaign – a campaign to demonize Israel. If you support Israel, you must take action now,” the Israel Project wrote on its Facebook page Thursday.
Walmart did not respond to the Free Beacon’s request for comment.
