Snopes recently released an article debunking this tweet of Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis, an antisemite who constantly spreads fake news online to demonize Jews and the Jewish state:
My immediate reaction to this was “Dang! I wish I had debunked this quote, it clearly looks fake.”
And then I started reading the Snopes article. To my surprise, I discovered their debunking is largely based on a 2009 Israellycool blog post, which I had clearly forgotten about!
2009: ‘I Got This in an Email’
One clue to the origins of this quote appeared in a Jan. 18, 2009, blog entry (archived) on Israellycool.com. An author with the blog said that a user on an internet forum mentioned that an email message was circulating at the time. The Israellycool.com author called it the “funniest fake Hollywood views on Middle East conflict of the day.” The fake Jolie quote was included in the list:
Dear Friends,
I got this in an email. No source was available (gee, I wonder why- ed.).
“If Arabs are strong enough, they will destroy the whole world, Therefore we should annihilate them.” – Keanu Reeves
“Arabs are dirtier creatures than animals and we Jews are the chosen people. There is no comparison.” – Harrison Ford
“I don’t know much about the subject but the war should end to stop the bloodshed on both parts.” – Sandra Bullock
“Take a look at Israel’s history and you would know who the terrorist is.” – Al Pacino
“Humanity seized to exist when Israel was established.” – Dustin Hoffman
“WE are living now in a jungle where the strong eats the weakest. We are not better than the Arabs to despise them.” – Ralph Fiennes
“The Arabs are the source of terrorism. They don’t spare anyone without attacking them. I hope that Israel destroys all of them.” – Tom Cruise
“Israel means war and destruction and we Americans are behind this war. I am ashamed of being American.” – Anthony Hopkins
“Both sides are wrong and the killing must be stopped.” – Will Smith
“Bush, Sharon, Blair and Rice are names that history will damn.” – George Clooney
“Arabs and Muslims are not terrorists. The world should unite against Israel.” – Angelina Jolie
“Arabs are a burden on the world and should be annihilated.” – Richard Gere
“We are talking from a point of strength, what if we were the weak ones?” – Sean Connery
“Zionists are the source of destruction. I wish I could fight against them.” – Mel Gibson
Snopes found no evidence whatsoever that any of these quotes were real.
The author on Israellycool.com added, “Actually, the Mel Gibson quote I can believe” – an apparent reference to disparaging remarks that Oscar-winning actor Mel Gibson had previously made about Jewish people.
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According to Google, the oldest-known posting of the fake Jolie quote was in an Aug. 23, 2006, article on IkhwanWeb.com (archived). The article also included some of the same fake quotes posted by Israellycool.com in 2009.
With fake quotes and fake news about the Jews and the Jewish state constantly flying around, we find ourselves trying to debunk them like a game of whack-a-mole. And even when we do, the same fake quotes and news keep coming back for encore performances, even years and decades later. This is why it is important to debunk them beyond social media. Having a website like Snopes – probably the largest fake news debunking website on the Internet – get in on the action is extremely important, and to have your work referenced by them is definitely something I am proud of and hope to replicate.
Snopes, if you are reading this, there is plenty more from where this came.
