Marks and Spencer has apologised after an outtake from a Christmas advert sparked outrage online because it allegedly reminded people of the burning of Palestinian flags.
The high street favourite apologised on social media for any “hurt” caused by the advert featuring red, white and green Christmas hats on the mantelpiece.
This comes against the backdrop of a bitter war between Israel and Hamas near the Gaza Strip, which has heightened tensions in Britain, with hundreds of thousands of people protesting every weekend.
After it was posted on social media with the caption, “This Christmas, only do what you love… like saying no to paper hats (although if we’re honest, we’re biased),” users commented that the image was “disgraceful” and “disgusting.”
In a statement on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, M&S wrote:: “Today we shared an outtake image from our Christmas ad for clothing and home, shot in August.”
“It featured traditional festively colored red, green and silver paper Christmas party hats on a fire grate.
“While the intention was to playfully demonstrate that some people just don’t enjoy wearing paper Santa hats during the holiday season, we have removed the post following feedback and apologize for any unintentional offense.”
