An exchange between a prominent BDS activist and a former MK who writes for a media watchdog illustrates how the anti-Israel movement not only relies on lies, but also has no regrets when caught lying.
On Thursday Ariel Gold, an advocate for the Boycott Divestment Sanctions anti-Israel movement and national co-director of CODEPINK, tweeted the following: “Israel may be changing the dates of its election not to conflict with the AIPAC conference in the US. Anyone have problems with this besides me???”
Former Knesset member Rabbi Dov Lipman who works for HonestReporting and speaks worldwide on behalf of Israel, tweeted back: “I have problems with you spreading falsehoods. We don’t even know if we are having an election and there certainly is no date. Attack AIPAC if you want. Say you are against a pro-Israel lobby. But outright lies just to trash those you disagree with? Disgusting.”
Gold replied: “Argue with a journalist” and showed a picture of a tweet from Haaretz journalist Allison Sommers. That tweet says: “So this is fun: the ‘normal’ date for a third election would be Tuesday, March 10. But March 10 is Purim. Last night, they said it would be a week earlier – on March 3. That would put it DURING the AIPAC Policy Conference. Now I’m hearing March 17, a week after Purim.”
Lipman contacted Sommers to check if she had any source for the AIPAC conference playing any role in a decision about the election date. Sommers told Lipman that she never said there was. She was simply pointing out date options and mentioned that if it was the third of March then it would coincide with Aipac. “No cause and effect,” Sommers said.
Lipman then tweeted to Gold: “As opposed to you, I actually checked with that journalist. She said she never said they would change the date because of AIPAC but she simply pointed out that it would be the same date. WILL YOU REMOVE YOUR TWEET WHICH IS FALSE????”
Gold has yet to take down her tweet.
Lipman commented on his interaction with Gold: “I don’t see Gold as a significant player and I believe she has very little influence. But we must call out lies and falsehoods about Israel no matter who is saying them and in this case she has been caught tweeting an outright falsehood. Her refusal to remove it just proves how their entire movement is based on false information and lies.”
Gold is Jewish but was barred from entering Israel in July 2018 due to her pro-Palestinian activities.
