People Are Connecting Elan From 'Love Island' to the IDF and Calling Him a Zionist

As if Love Island USA wasn’t intense enough with the original cast featured in its premiere episode, producers love to throw in bombshells to shake things up, and boy, do they ever. Among the bombshells to join the Season 7 cast is Elan Bibas from Miami Beach, Fla. Elan is Jewish, which is causing quite the stir among fans. It’s not just because of the current climate in the world, with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.

It’s also because Huda Mustafa is of Palestinian descent.

While that’s prompted one discussion, another is unfolding around Elan’s rumored connection to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which is the national military of the State of Israel. Whether people are fans of Elan or not, many are trying to piece together how the rumor of his connection to the IDF even started, so here’s what we know.

People are connecting Elan Bibas to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), with some even questioning whether he actually served in the country’s military. The speculation stems from a photo he shared to his Instagram Stories in 2022, showing him and some friends posing with a soldier during a trip to Israel.

The IDF, made up of three branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and the Israeli Navy, does require Israeli citizens to serve, with a few exemptions, including men studying religion, per Britannica. However, it doesn’t appear that Elan was born in Israel, despite his seemingly close ties to the country.

According to Elan’s Facebook page, he’s from Richmond Hill, Ontario. He previously lived in Kingston, and now appears to be based in Miami Beach. The photo in question was taken in Metulla, while he was traveling through various parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv and Zefat. The soldier in the image doesn’t appear to be in a combat unit but instead seems affiliated with the General Corps, a support division within the IDF.

Because Elan is Jewish and seems to have a strong connection to Israel, he may have simply taken the photo out of support or opportunity. But based on his social media posts and LinkedIn profile, there’s no indication that he served in the IDF.

Elan currently works as a consultant for Slalom, based in Miami, a role he took on in December 2024. He’s been with the company since September 2022, starting as an associate consultant in Ontario. He was promoted to consultant in March 2024, staying in the same location before transferring to Miami a year later.

In addition to his consulting career, Elan is the co-founder of Kaffie. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the Stephen J.R. Smith Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s University. Before that, he attended Richmond Hill High School in Ontario.

While there’s no mention of any military involvement in his background, fans are also labeling him a Zionist, an advocate for Zionism, which is defined as a “nationalist movement with the goal of the creation and support of a Jewish national state in Palestine, the ancient homeland of the Jews,” per Britannica. It’s not clear if Elan identifies with that label, but the mention of it is definitely adding a twist to the show.