Tel Aviv: The Israeli Air Force has used imagery from Apple’s newly unveiled iPhone Duo in a social media post featuring Israeli soldiers and military activity in Gaza.
The post, shared by the Israeli Air Force, used the phrase “This is Duo”, echoing Apple’s branding for its newly launched foldable iPhone.
Apple introduced the iPhone Duo on September 9 as its first foldable iPhone. The product launch has brought renewed attention to the company’s longstanding research and development operations in Israel.
The latest post has therefore placed the launch of Apple’s first foldable iPhone alongside imagery from the Gaza Genocide, raising questions about how commercial technology and military communications increasingly intersect.
The military post has drawn a strongly negative reaction from social media users, some of whom criticised the use of Apple’s branding alongside imagery from the genocide. Others called for a boycott of Apple products, including posts using the hashtag #BoycottApple.
The backlash comes amid the continuing the genocide in Gaza, where Israel’s military campaign has faced extensive international criticism and allegations of genocide.
Israel rejects the genocide allegation, while the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has been examining a case brought by South Africa alleging violations of the Genocide Convention.
The controversy has also renewed scrutiny of Apple’s longstanding research and development presence in Israel. The company has research operations in the country, including facilities in Herzliya, Haifa and Jerusalem, working on areas such as chips and connectivity technology.
For Apple, the controversy comes at a sensitive moment as its first foldable iPhone enters the market, with online users now linking the product’s branding to imagery from one of the world’s most contentious conflicts.
