Israeli ambassador’s Twitter Q&A gets dominated by critics
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Version 0 of 1. Ron Dermer, Israel's ambassador to the United States, held a Twitter Q&A on Thursday morning, and it turned out as one would expect. The chat, which lasted roughly 45 minutes, fueled the Twitter hashtag #AskDermer. Click on it and you'll find a growing archive of cynicism and outrage directed at Israel and its Operation Protective Edge, the 10-day-old bombing campaign against Islamist militants in Gaza that has led to the deaths of more than 200 Palestinians. .@AmbDermer Twitter Q&A tomorrow at 8:30am ET. Ask your questions using #AskDermer pic.twitter.com/tva97bhRUp— Embassy of Israel (@IsraelinUSA) July 16, 2014 .@AmbDermer Twitter Q&A tomorrow at 8:30am ET. Ask your questions using #AskDermer pic.twitter.com/tva97bhRUp These are examples of questions he didn't quite answer. Is it hard to type on an iPhone with blood on your hands? #AskDermer— Jeb Lund (@Mobute) July 17, 2014 Is it hard to type on an iPhone with blood on your hands? #AskDermer @AmbDermer Do you still think "belligerency" is "deeply embedded" in Islam? http://t.co/dZNVwSU7LD pic.twitter.com/i7soWSCjy6 #AskDermer— Ali Gharib (@Ali_Gharib) July 17, 2014 @AmbDermer Do you still think "belligerency" is "deeply embedded" in Islam? http://t.co/dZNVwSU7LD pic.twitter.com/i7soWSCjy6 #AskDermer If Hamas apologized for hurting civilians, could they also continue sending rockets in pursuit of their political ends? #AskDermer— Hend (@LibyaLiberty) July 17, 2014 If Hamas apologized for hurting civilians, could they also continue sending rockets in pursuit of their political ends? #AskDermer #AskDermer this is a Palestinian man whose kids you killed as they played football.What would you like to say to him? pic.twitter.com/1uT2OsU1GJ— Mohamed El Dahshan (@eldahshan) July 17, 2014 #AskDermer this is a Palestinian man whose kids you killed as they played football.What would you like to say to him? pic.twitter.com/1uT2OsU1GJ What is your excuse for what your airstrikes have done to this Gazan family? #AskDermer pic.twitter.com/SkLVhNYZ2f— Ali Rjoub (@Ali_Rjoub) July 17, 2014 What is your excuse for what your airstrikes have done to this Gazan family? #AskDermer pic.twitter.com/SkLVhNYZ2f But, to Dermer's credit, he did engage others and seemed up for a fight. He labeled Israel's critics on Twitter a "small vocal minority." .@APDiploWriter Small vocal minority. Appreciate broad strong support 4 Israel's right to defend itself throughout America & internationally— Amb. Ron Dermer (@AmbDermer) July 17, 2014 .@APDiploWriter Small vocal minority. Appreciate broad strong support 4 Israel's right to defend itself throughout America & internationally And then played the America card, a common Israeli rhetorical tactic, asking how the United States would deal with the crisis if it faced similar threats. .@akahnnyc Ask yourself the WWAD question. What would America do if 200 millions were sitting in bomb shelters as rockets were fired?— Amb. Ron Dermer (@AmbDermer) July 17, 2014 .@akahnnyc Ask yourself the WWAD question. What would America do if 200 millions were sitting in bomb shelters as rockets were fired? He reiterated Israeli talking points: .@fullyspectrumed Israel cares more about Pal civilians in Gaza than Hamas. We try to get them out of harms way. They put them in harm's way— Amb. Ron Dermer (@AmbDermer) July 17, 2014 .@fullyspectrumed Israel cares more about Pal civilians in Gaza than Hamas. We try to get them out of harms way. They put them in harm's way And responded to leftist American critics: .@OccupyWallStNYC UN called 4 Jewish state & Arab state. It was a recognition of historical/legal/moral right of Jewish ppl 2 their homeland— Amb. Ron Dermer (@AmbDermer) July 17, 2014 .@OccupyWallStNYC UN called 4 Jewish state & Arab state. It was a recognition of historical/legal/moral right of Jewish ppl 2 their homeland Dermer ended with a tweet that could be interpreted as a sarcastic shrug but, given the combative nature of the conversation, was more of a "bring it on" challenge to Israel's critics. Thanks everyone for those softballs. Looking forward to some even tougher questions next time. #AskDermer— Amb. Ron Dermer (@AmbDermer) July 17, 2014 Thanks everyone for those softballs. Looking forward to some even tougher questions next time. #AskDermer |