Who is Elan Bibas, the Love Island USA Jewish bombshell getting hate after kissing a Palestinian?

Love Island USA, currently in its seventh season and ranked as the most-streamed reality show in the US, has been a hot topic of conversation in recent days on social media – and it’s because of Israel.

Even if you are not following the hit series, you may have stumbled across posts written in outrage about one contestant in particular: Elan Bibas, a Jewish Canadian tech consultant.

The curly-haired 24-year-old entered the show in week four, as one of six male “bombshells” to greet the seven female islanders in Casa Amor – where relationships sparked in the main villa are put to the ultimate test.

But fans of the series were quick to express anger at the producers of the show, when one of its racy games saw Bibas exchange a passionate kiss with fellow contestant Huda Mustafa, who is of Palestinian descent.

“Them having a Zionist in casa when they have a Palestinian woman in there is sick what’s wrong with them,” one user on X wrote, referring to the producers’ choice to cast Bibas in Casa Amor.

“Producers letting Huda, a Palestinian, unknowingly choose an IDF soldier… this is literally a horror movie #LoveIslandUSA,” another wrote.

Huda Mustafa, of Palestinian descent, chose to snog Elan Bibas in a kissing challenge. (Ben Symons/Peacock)[Missing Credit]

“Sorry but it's so many level of wrongs for putting Huda, a proud Palestinian woman, into a scenario where she unknowingly makes out with someone who is a proud Zionist, producers you will burn #LoveIslandUSA,” a third account posted.

The show’s viewers had an issue with the fact that, when given the choice to kiss two Islanders she thought would be the “best kissers”, Huda picked Bibas as her first snog.

Social media fans immediately pointed the blame at the show’s producers, accusing production of not informing Huda about Bibas’s background – and claiming that he is a Zionist and a former IDF soldier.

But how much do we really know about Bibas? From a quick glance at his social media, there does not seem to be any evidence of him having ever served in the Israeli army, nor of his political beliefs.

In fact, he hails from Richmond Hill, Ontario in Canada, and has only ever visited Israel a handful of times: once for his bar mitzvah in 2014 at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, and another time as a tourist with friends in 2022, before the war in Gaza began, based on his online activity.

His name, Elan, is Hebrew – meaning “oak tree”, and he has two siblings, Dahlia and Tal, the latter of whom happens to be manning his brother’s social media while he is in the villa.

Elan graduated from Queen’s University in Canada where he studied computer engineering, before becoming a tech consultant at Slalom.

In 2024 he sold the AI start-up he co-founded with his best friend and roommate, and began pursuing his passions full-time, including starting a run-club, making uplifting social media content and competing in ultramarathons.

At the end of last year, he fulfilled a long-term promise to himself and moved permanently to Miami, Florida. “The warm weather has made me happier than ever before,” he wrote to his followers. There, he set up a sunrise run club community group called “Get Lost Runners”.

On his social media, Bibas shares inspirational and self-help content about moving away from your hometown, fitness pursuits such as completing the Hyrox challenge and mountain hiking, and coping with social anxiety.

As for Judaism, it appearL Bibas and his siblings joined Reform synagogue Temple Har Zion in Toronto in the autumn of 2023.

He has also shared the secret to achieving his perfect curls. “Been messing around with my curly routine and I think I finally reached a new level,” he wrote in a TikTok caption to a video delving into his everyday hair ritual.

So, it seems Bibas is just a regular Jewish Canadian doing his best to live the influencer life. But that did not stop Love Island fans from accusing of him being a danger to Mustafa in the villa.

“It’s absolutely crazy to put Palestinians with [an] IDF solider in one villa. I fear for her safety,” one fan of the show wrote.

Israeli writer and activist Hen Mazzig took X to offer his opinion amid the social media storm.

“Elan Bibas, a 24-year-old Jewish Canadian, entered the Love Island USA Villa only two days ago, and the internet has been going ballistic.

“His crime? He's Jewish and his name is Hebrew. Oh, and like most Jews, he's been to Israel before.

“How ironic that the fanbase of ‘Love Island’ is only fuelled by hate.”

Even though their kiss sparked outrage, Bibas and Mustafa are not an official couple on the show.

In fact, the Jewish bombshell hit it off with someone else: fan-favourite Cierra Ortega from Chicago.

Elan Bibas hit it off with Chicago-born Cierra Ortega. (Ben Symons/Peacock)[Missing Credit]

Only time will tell whether it is true love.

In the meantime, the official Love Island Instagram account shared a message to fans warning against spreading hate about contestants.

"We appreciate the fans, the passion for the series, and the amazing group of Islanders who are sharing their summer with us.

"Please just remember they’re real people – so let’s be kind and spread the love!”

On Saturday, the show’s host, Ariana Madix, issued another warning during “Aftersun,” the weekly episode that recaps the series so far with former contestants. 

“I do want to say something to some of those people that are online,” she said. “Don’t be contacting people’s families. Don’t be doxxing people. Don’t be going on Islander’s pages and saying rude things. You still have time to delete all of that, because the Islanders don’t have their phones, so we’re giving you a chance.”

The series has previously courted controversy following the suicides of two former contestants – Sophie Gradon, 32, from season two, and Michael Thalassitis, 26, from season three – after their appearances on the UK version. Caroline Flack, the series’ former presenter, also took her own life while she was facing trial accused of assaulting her boyfriend in 2020. 

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