Taylor Swift will definitely be humming “Shake It Off,” as she faces a sudden, irrational wave of hate from social media users over her recently released documentary series, Taylor Swift: The End of an Era (streaming in Israel on Disney+), because fans shown in the first episode waiting to go through security for a concert at Wembley Stadium in England mention they chatted with concertgoers from Israel.
Social media users are breaking the internet in a rush to condemn the 36-year-old Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, accusing her of being a "Zionist."
Swift has refrained from any mention of Israel and the war in Gaza for the past two years and has limited her political views to speaking out for LGBTQ+ rights and stating that she would not be voting for Donald Trump. She did not respond to a #SwiftiesforPalestine campaign, although she did once attend a fundraiser for humanitarian aid to Gaza alongside Selena Gomez in 2023, but many in the pro-Palestinian crowd did not deem this as sufficient.
An X/Twitter user @Brookie816 tweeted on Friday: “Taylor Swift specifically planting Jewish ppl in her documentary & mentioning Israel more than once, in an effort to humanize baby killers & genociders. We now know WHY Tay doesn’t speak up against genocide, #TaylorSwiftisaZionist.”
Also on X, @jamirostan wrote: “I know I have a lot of Taylor Swift fans as followers, but I'm sorry, I can't stand her after that doc….she CHOSE to include mentions of Israel. If you view Israel as a real country, you’re a Zionist, period. And if you’re a zionist, you’re a piece of shit. (plus, you know the necklace).” The necklace refers to one that is part of her Life of a Showgirl merchandise, showing lightning bolts that reference the “Opalite” song that some have said resembled the symbol of the elite SS Nazi unit, which has since been removed from her online store.
@ierofiilm wrote: “If u defend Taylor Swift then unfollow me lmao I don't want zionist bitches on my page.” Another user, @chiefsAlpha, said, “A Zionist bully, a capitalist, no moral compass, zero authenticity, sell, sell, sell some more.”
While some who previously admired Swift may now be humming her hit, “Everything Has Changed,” others insist there is no “Bad Blood” here, earnestly trying to defend her by saying that there is no evidence she is a Zionist.
Being the target of foiled terror plot
Last year, Swift was the target of a terror plot that was foiled in Vienna. In the new docuseries, she reflects on the threat, saying that while she had been threatened in the past, “But this was the first one I feel like – I don’t know – I’m skating on thin ice or something. We’ve had a series of violent, scary things happen to the tour. Like, we dodged a massacre situation, and so I’ve just been kind of all over the place.” Swift cancelled three sold-out concerts in Vienna because of the plot. Several suspects were taken into custody in June 2025 and accused of having ties to ISIS and other Islamic extremist groups.
Another emotional moment in the series comes when Swift breaks down after meeting with the family members of three children who were murdered in 2024 in Southport, United Kingdom, at a Taylor Swift-themed event. The three girls, aged six, seven, and nine, were stabbed to death by Axel Rudakubana, who had an al-Qaeda manual. Eight other children and two adults were injured in the terror attack.
The meeting takes place off-camera, but Swift begins to cry afterwards as she talks about the terror attack, saying, “It was little kids.”
One of Swift’s bodyguards, who is Israeli, returned home to fight in the war following the October 7 massacre by Hamas.
Swift has not performed in Israel, but has many fans here, and the movie of her Eras concert tour was one of the first to open in the country in November 2023, when theaters reopened after having been closed when the war broke out. Few were heading out to theaters then, but her Israeli fans, wearing glittery garments and concert T-shirts, came to enjoy the movie, albeit in a more subdued fashion than they would have done had the war not been raging.
While a subset of the comments on the new Swift documentary referenced the mention of Israel negatively, most of her fans were enthusiastic over the series. For most Swifties, their relationship with their idol will always be a “Love Story,” and they keep singing along to “You Belong with Me.”