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Is a white T-shirt from Louis Vuitton’s spring collection a secret expression of support for Palestine? On the left chest of the T-shirt is the logo of the luxury brand in the colors of a watermelon. And that fruit, which has the same colors as the Palestinian flag, has been a symbol of Palestine for decades.

LVMH, the luxury group of which Louis Vuitton is a part, is not immediately known for its sympathy for Palestine. CEO Bernard Arnault, one of the richest people in the world, invested in the Israeli company Wiz, which specializes in cybersecurity. Due to Arnault’s investments in Israeli companies, the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement has long been calling for a boycott of Louis Vuitton.

The T-shirt contains angry comments from both the pro-Palestinian and the pro-Isaraeli camp. There are accusations of opportunistic marketing based on the suffering of the Palestinians, on the one hand, and on the other hand, Louis Vuitton is accused of being anti-Semitic with this T-shirt.

In 2021, Louis Vuitton found itself in a similar commotion. Then the brand came up with a blue and white version of the keffiyeh, also known as the ‘arafat scarf’ because Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat consistently wore it. Louis Vuitton then removed the scarf from the website.

The T-shirt costs 650 euros.

Also read: How the watermelon became a symbol of support for the Palestinians