Influencers dodge backlash while speaking up about Israel and Gaza

As the war between Israel and Hamas enters second month, influencers who make their careers online say that the conflict has become unavoidable.

Jeremy Jacobowitz, a food creator with more than 485,000 Instagram followers, held back from posting about the Israel-Hamas conflict, at least at first.

But in the last month, Jacobowitz, who is Jewish, has been flooded with aggressive messages from people wanting him to speak out about the war.

“Especially because I’m outspoken, but I choose my battles wisely, I don’t say things just to say things,” he said in an interview. “It took me maybe three or four days to post something, and by that point I was flooded with DMs accusing me, not in a nice way, of not saying anything.”

As the war between Israel and Hamas enters its second month, influencers and creators who make their careers online say that the conflict has become unavoidable, that they’re urged by their audiences and compelled by their own values and interests to post about it.

And when they do, there are ramifications. Four people with large social media followings spoke to NBC News about posting during the war and the backlash they’ve received. Some also said they have lost followers and income.