’90 Day Fiancé’ Star Alexei Brovarnik’s Israel Remarks Spark Debate

90 Day Fiancé alum Alexei Brovarnik has sparked a fierce debate on social media after speaking out about issue of humanitarian aid reaching the people of Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Israel launched its latest war on Gaza after Hamas’ October 7 surprise infiltration attack, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken back into the Strip as hostages. Around 100 remain unaccounted for, along with the bodies of 32 captives believed to have already died.

The subsequent assault on Gaza has killed at least 31,819 Palestinians, per data from the Strip’s health ministry cited by the Associated Press. Another 435 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces and settlers in the West Bank since October 7, per Associated Press figures.

Swaths of Gaza have been razed, and the vast majority of its 2.3 million residents forced to flee their homes. Scant humanitarian aid has been delivered into the Strip despite growing international pressure on Israel to facilitate more, with the United Nations and NGOs warning that famine is imminent.

Weighing in on the matter, Brovarnik, who worked as a medic in Israel before moving to the U.S., spoke out in defense of his former home as he sought to explain the challenges of getting aid to Palestinian civilians.

In a video shared on Instagram this week, he said that he “decided to record this video today to share my thoughts on the whole humanitarian aid situation in Gaza. I think it’s a very, very important subject, and I don’t think a lot of people really know what’s going on.

“So, first and foremost, I just want to say that I’m an ordinary guy who is just sharing his thoughts and his beliefs with you. With that said, number one: the amount of humanitarian aid that’s allowed to go into Gaza is not limited, as long as it’s humanitarian aid only.

“The fact is, actually, that Israel is constantly, actively looking for safer, better ways to deliver this aid, if it’s through air or naval or ground trucks.”

“But it obviously needs to be checked, right?” Brovarnik continued. “We cannot allow weapons or ammunitions or anything else that can help Hamas to go in. You understand, right? You wouldn’t want to supply weapons to the people who want to kill you.

“And you might ask what it has to do with Hamas—it’s for the civilians. But the fact is that Hamas hijacks those trucks and hijacks that aid constantly and uses it for its own benefit. And we know it for a fact. We see armed terrorists take over those trucks and even hurt or shoot innocent civilians who are trying to get to their aid.”

“So bottom line, humanitarian aid should and must be used by humans. It’s for them,” Brovarnik concluded. “It is not for Hamas terrorists, who I don’t even consider to be human.”

Brovarnik’s post was met with a wave of criticism from detractors, a number of whom vowed to unfollow the TV personality and his wife, Loren Brovarnik.

“I’ve been following you from day 1 of your story with [Loren]. I’m done,” wrote one. “Israel is spreading propaganda and you’re buying it. This is a country that cannot even defend itself and Israel is wiping it off the map. This is genocide, it is ethnic cleansing and terribly hypocritical being that the ones committing the genocide are the people who were the victims of the last ethnic cleansing and genocide.

“Israel is an occupier and they a murdering innocent children, babies, mothers, fathers…. Hamas has no where else to hide, you’re all so dumb you believe the bulls*** you’re being sold. [Israeli [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is a war criminal and Israel needs to be held responsible for the murder of tens of thousands of Palestinians!!”

“Can’t believe it,” read another comment. “I loved this couple on [90 Day Fiancé] and now I have no choice but to unfollow you guys just because of this video.”

“Israel is an occupying country. Everyone now knows the history,” another said. “Palestine has been subjected to occupation for years. There is no justification for murder on either side. No one would of ever expected the world’s most persecuted people to become the aggressors of such hate.”

“Unfortunately for this comment, I must cancel you and @lorenbrovarnik,” another detractor said. “You are a pawn in their propaganda. The genocide of innocent women, children & families is NOT okay!”

“We’ve not seen ANY proof of Hamas hijacking any humanitarian aid,” a different person weighed in. “We’ve witnessed forces take out innocent civilians over flour. Can you do a post on why the citizens of Israel are protesting against the government there on October 7 and currently?”

Some comments backed Brovarnik. One Instagram user said that there are “many videos of Hamas taking the aid trucks with weapons. Many videos of Gazans saying Hamas is taking the trucks. Many videos of the free aid being sold to Gazans. Just like there are many videos of the tunnels in civilian areas and Hamas using Human shields, Many videos of Gazans protesting against Hamas in Gaza.”

Another wrote: “Thank you for sharing. I understand and wish more ppl did. I stand with Israel and peace over war.”

“We love you!” said another supporter. “I know you read a million hate comments but remember, our love is stronger and that’s why they hate us. You are brave. Thank you.”

“Unfortunately, the people with ignorant comments [know] nothing about living in Israel, being surrounded by enemies,” another said of the detractors. “They don’t know what it’s like to go out of the house and not knowing whether they’d get stunned or shot because of a terrorist, this what we’re through in Israel daily, especially now during Ramadan.

“We will ensure to get rid of anyone trying to hurt us, even if there is a price to pay. Would love to hear how the rest of you would behave or react if your country and your safety was in jeopardy daily. Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t fit.”

Newsweek has contacted a representative of Alexei Brovarnik via email for comment.

Shortly after the war broke out, Brovarnik, shared several Instagram Story posts in support of Israel while highlighting the devastation in the wake of the attack.

He also shared an “I stand with Israel” post on his grid, adding the caption: “A horrific day for all Israeli and Jewish people in the world, it’s not over and it will be hard but we are strong we are together and we will defeat the darkness.”