New York State Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest deleted a May 13 tweet of a map showing all of Israel as “Palestine.” The deleted tweet also included the caption “#FreePalestine.”
Forrest had also written in a since-deleted tweet that the map showed “historic Palestine.” “The reality on the ground is apartheid,” she added. “We need to make sure that our tax dollars don’t support the oppression of any peoples.”
Among those who criticized the tweets were the Anti-Defamation League New York / New Jersey chapter. “It is incendiary and outrageous, especially at such a sensitive time, for any public official to make references to erasing Israel’s existence from the map or denying its Jewish history as well as leveling claims of apartheid,” they tweeted.
It is incendiary and outrageous, especially at such a sensitive time, for any public official to make references to erasing Israel’s existence from the map or denying its Jewish history as well as leveling claims of apartheid. pic.twitter.com/TYGTw01x4j
— ADL New York / New Jersey (@ADL_NYNJ) May 13, 2021
Forrest later tweeted that she had deleted her previous tweet of the “Palestine” map because it “led to misunderstandings about my position. My position has always been about peace and justice. I stand against apartheid because I believe that all people deserve to live under equal rights regardless of ethnicity or religion.”
I deleted a previous tweet that led to misunderstandings about my position. ⁰⁰My position has always been about peace and justice. ⁰
I stand against apartheid because I believe that all people deserve to live under equal rights regardless of ethnicity or religion.— Phara Souffrant Forrest (@phara4assembly) May 13, 2021
But not everyone bought her explanation. “As your constituent, I’d like to know where is your apology for tweeting a call for genocide,” Tali Goldsheft, Director of Communications at Americans for Ben-Gurion University, tweeted in response. “I stand against apartheid as well. Israel is not an apartheid [state].”
As your constituent, I’d like to know where is your apology for tweeting a call for genocide. I stand against apartheid as well. Israel is not an apartheid.
— Tali Goldsheft (@TaliGoldsheft) May 13, 2021
Rabbi Andrew Jacobs of Ramat Shalom Synagogue in Florida replied to Forrest, “Your dangerous, hateful tweet can’t simply be deleted. The damage is done. We now know your views. They are not peaceful.”
Your dangerous, hateful tweet can’t simply be deleted. The damage is done. We now know your views. They are not peaceful.
— Rabbi Andrew Jacobs (@RabbiJacobs) May 13, 2021
Forrest also tweeted on May 12 that it’s a “moral stain” that the United States “government and elected officials continue to prop up an Israeli state dedicated to apartheid. We can and must change that. #BDS #FreePalestine.”
It is a moral stain on our country and all who live here to have our government and elected officials continue to prop up an Israeli state dedicated to apartheid.
We can and must change that. #BDS #FreePalestine https://t.co/TOBzVuUQjx
— Phara Souffrant Forrest (@phara4assembly) May 12, 2021
The Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted in response, “Please don’t legitimize lie demonizing Israel and your Jewish neighbors. Israel has 9+ million citizens nearly 20% Arab. Want to help Palestinians? Denounce #HamasTerrorists for using Gazans as human shields for 1000s of rockets launched against Israeli civilians.”
.@phara4assembly please don’t legitimize lie demonizing Israel and your Jewish neighbors. Israel has 9+ million citizens nearly 20% Arab. Want to help Palestinians? Denounce #HamasTerrorists for using Gazans as human shields for 1000s of rockets launched against Israeli civilians https://t.co/4gmG3j0GUR
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) May 13, 2021
