“Tonight I’d like to talk to you about Fake News,” Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer started his speech July 17 at the annual Christians United for Israel’s “Night to Honor Israel” in Washington, D.C. But as the crowd roared, Dermer made a point that he was not joining President Donald Trump’s tirade against the U.S. media. “Now, some people associate fake news with the rise of President Donald Trump,” he asserted. “but Israel has been dealing with fake news day after day, month after month, year after year, and decade after decade.”
[This story originally appeared on jewishinsider.com]
Dermer mentioned the “fake news explosion” during the 2014 war against Hamas in Gaza – “Fake news did all it could to cast Israeli soldiers as criminals and Palestinian terrorists as victims” – and every day in Israel’s battle against Palestinian and Islamic terrorism.
Dermer also described reports about Israel’s objection to the Taylor Force Act, legislation introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that would sever all U.S. economic aid to the Palestinian Authority until payments to Palestinian families of terrorists’ end, as “fake news.”
“I can assure that Israel is not the slightest bit concerned that the Taylor Force will pass,” the Israeli Ambassador stressed. “Israel would be concerned if the Taylor Force Act didn’t pass.”
At the beginning of his remarks, Dermer thanked Trump and Vice President Mike Pence “for the strong support they have shown Israel over the past six months.” He also singled out U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley for her strong defense of the Jewish state. “Now that is a Wonder Woman,” Dermer said.
