Marvel actor Mark Ruffalo apologized Monday night for tweets where he accused Israel of committing “genocide” amid the most recent violence in the Middle East.
“I have reflected & wanted to apologize for posts during the recent Israel/Hamas fighting that suggested Israel is committing ‘genocide’. It’s not accurate, it’s inflammatory, disrespectful & is being used to justify antisemitism here & abroad. Now is the time to avoid hyperbole,” Ruffalo tweeted.
Last week, Israel and Hamas announced a ceasefire, ending violent skirmishes that began after the Israeli government planned to evict Palestinian families living in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. The two sides exchanged over 4000 rockets along the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of more than 200 Palestinians and about a dozen Israelis, including women and children.
ISRAEL APPROVES CEASEFIRE AFTER DAYS OF BITTER CLASHES WITH HAMAS
Initially, the actor framed the 11-day conflict as Israel vs. Palestine, but his most recent tweet calls the skirmishes “Israel/Hamas fighting.”
Early on, Ruffalo called for sanctions on Israel, citing a similar policy that the international community had toward the apartheid in South Africa.
“Sanctions on South Africa helped free its black people — it’s time for sanctions on Israel to free Palestinians,” Ruffalo tweeted.
On May 17, Ruffalo joined in the calls for President Joe Biden to demand an immediate ceasefire to “the ongoing, deadly and meaningless conflict happening in Israel and Palestine.”
He also parroted talking points seemingly calling for the end of the state of Israel.
“‘Equality, human rights, and prosperity for all from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.’ The fight for equality happening here in the USA should be the guiding principle of our values in the Middle East and for our allies abroad,” he tweeted on May 20.
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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be traveling to the Middle East this week in an effort to reiterate the United States’s relationship with Israel and strengthen the one with Palestinian leaders.
