On February 6, 2023, two major earthquakes rocked southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria, killing thousands and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. To further complicate rescue operations, the region has been hit by sub-zero temperatures and snowy weather.
In response to the devastation caused by the earthquakes, Israel organized a relief mission to help with rescue efforts and provide treatment to those injured and traumatized by the destruction.
However, while Israel was mobilizing to help those most affected, anti-Zionists and antisemites on social media were using this opportunity to demonize and malign the Jewish state.
Israel's IDF “Olive Branches” humanitarian aid delegation in Türkiye preparing to assist the effort to locate, save and help victims of the earthquakes. pic.twitter.com/xrTf7QXkFi
— Michael Dickson (@michaeldickson) February 6, 2023
Israel’s Response to Disasters: A History of Service
As Turkey and Syria were left reeling from the devastating impact of these earthquakes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would be sending “extraction, rescue and medical relief teams” to Turkey.
In addition, Netanyahu announced that, through coordination with a third party, Israel would be providing aid to Syria, even though the war-torn country is in a formal state of war with Israel and the two countries have no official relations.
This aid will include tents, medication and blankets as well as possible treatment of the wounded in Israeli hospitals.
The Israeli rescue effort, which is being dubbed Operation “Olive Branches,” is being carried out by members of the IDF Home Front Command’s search and rescue teams.
These are the same teams that were sent in the summer of 2021 to aid in the rescue efforts following the devastating collapse of a condominium building in the Miami suburb of Surfside.
We are about to embark with the Israeli humanitarian aid delegation to Turkey to assist victims of the devastating earthquakes
Our goal is to assist the Turkish people during this difficult time and to provide medical and humanitarian aid & offer any necessary support to victims pic.twitter.com/gHqUTBYhEr
— David Saranga (@DavidSaranga) February 6, 2023
Israel’s quick mobilization of a rescue mission is unsurprising given the Jewish state’s long history of humanitarian missions to areas devastated by earthquakes and other natural disasters.
As previously reported by HonestReporting, Israel’s storied history of aid missions to earthquake-stricken areas goes as far back as 1953, when the five-year-old state provided assistance to Greece following an earthquake on the Ionian islands.
Since then, Israel has sent missions to such varied locales as:
- Mexico (following earthquakes in 1985 and 2017)
- Armenia (following a 1988 earthquake)
- India (following a 2001 earthquake)
- Turkey (following earthquakes in 1999 and 2011)
- Sri Lanka (following a 2004 earthquake and subsequent tsunami)
- Haiti / Dominican Republic (following a 2010 earthquake)
- Nepal (following a 2015 earthquake)
- Albania (following a 2019 earthquake).
Hate, Conspiracies and Slander: Anti-Israel Responses to the Earthquakes
While Israeli rescuers were gearing up to fly to Turkey and assist in the rescue and treatment of those affected by the earthquakes, anti-Israeli provocateurs used the opportunity to spread lies and hate about the Jewish state on social media.
Some of the most heinous accusations and libels that have been lobbed against Israel in the past 24 hours include:
- Journalist CJ Werleman’s comparison of the destruction wrought by the earthquakes to Israel’s demolition of illegal structures and homes of Palestinian terrorists.
- The claim that the earthquake was caused by Israel, either by a missile strike or some other type of weapon.
- Pro-Assad propagandist Hadi Nasrallah’s manipulation of the earthquake tragedy to blame the West (including Israel) for Syria’s woes.
- The false claim that “Zionist Media Outlets” focused attention solely on Turkey, without mentioning the destruction and deaths in Syria.
- The claim that international aid missions are only going to Turkey and not Syria because Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a “Zionist servant.”
- The claim (since removed) by Maria Dubovikova, a former columnist for Al Arabiya, that Israel detected the earthquake ahead of time but purposefully didn’t warn Turkey or Syria about it.
- The claim by former journalist Daniel Easterman that Israel is only sending rescue teams to Turkey in order to “exploit the tragedy to gain political capital and improve it’s [sic] international image.”
Is there anything that @cjwerleman won't blame on Israel?
A devastating earthquake hits Turkey and he decides to make it about Israel & the Palestinians?
When you find a way to blame the Jews for everything it's called #antisemitism. pic.twitter.com/sXVr3l9j8h
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) February 6, 2023
Going to say the truth now even though it’s not polite.
Every time there is an earthquake or humanitarian disaster, Israel immediately tries to exploit the tragedy to gain political capital and improve it’s international image.
The cynicism makes me sick.
— Daniel (@daneasterman) February 6, 2023
Although these falsehoods and claims are (so far) confined to social media and have yet to penetrate traditional media, this does not mean that they should be taken lightly.
As recent studies have shown, social media has the ability to influence traditional media.
In addition, digital media is continuing to overtake traditional media as a primary news source, especially with the younger generations.
The fact that a number of these claims were peddled by people affiliated with the media only serves to highlight the dangerous influence that these lies and slanders may have on the general public.
At HonestReporting, we will continue to expose and fight anti-Israel lies and bias in traditional media, digital media, and social media.
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Photo Credit: Burak Kara via Getty Images
