Tweets of the Week is back! It’s been a particularly epic week, with millions of Israelis heading to elections, and the Israeli Beresheet moon mission coming so close to a spectacular success. In between, there have been some fantastic responses to those defending BDS leader Omar Barghouti and controversial congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
1. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin tweeted out some kind words of support after Israel’s Beresheet spacecraft traveled thousands of miles to the moon, only to fall at the final hurdle when an engine problem wrecked the landing, leaving many distraught at seeing years of work and hopes dashed in a moment.
Condolences to the Beresheet lander @TeamSpaceIL for what almost was! Communications were lost with the spacecraft just 150 meters (!!!) above the surface, and it couldn't quite stick the landing. Never lose hope – your hard work, teamwork, and innovation is inspiring to all!
— Dr. Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) April 11, 2019
2. Meanwhile, former British Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks spoke on behalf of Jews everywhere proud of Israel’s remarkable efforts.
Even more than the strength to win, we need the courage to try, the willingness to fail, the readiness to learn and the faith to persist. @TeamSpaceIL may have ended up a few kilometres short of bringing #IsraelToTheMoon but we are so proud of their effort. #SmallCountryBigDreams pic.twitter.com/ZTlzAK8oeU
— The Rabbi Sacks Legacy (@rabbisacks) April 11, 2019
3. Parody account “The Mossad” enjoyed mocking anti-Israel claims.
Agents. Tonight we land on the moon! #IsraelToTheMoon pic.twitter.com/EkwkcYp4pz
— The Mossad: Satirical and Awesome (@TheMossadIL) April 11, 2019
4. Meanwhile, journalist Amir Mizroch adopted a more philosophical take, pointing out the potential long-term benefits for the Israeli economy.
1980's: Lavi fighter jet program fails, but boosts Israel's tech industry (software, semiconductors, materials).
2013: Project Better Place fails, but launches Israel's auto-tech industry.
2019: #Beresheet crashes on the moon…stay tuned.#StartUpNation— Amir Mizroch (@Amirmizroch) April 11, 2019
5. Israeli elections saw a predictable swell in nonsense written about the Jewish state. Sussex Friends of Israel made something clear in an attempt to preempt one particular baseless claim.
Listen carefully I'm going to try and explain it to you in simple terms;
Israelis vote in Israel's elections
Palestinians vote in Palestinian election (when/if they ever have them!)
Got it?
— We Stand With Israel (@SussexFriends) April 9, 2019
6. Writer Emily Schrader noted one highlight of the election results: the entry of a Druze woman into Israeli politics.
Amazing to see strong women shattering glass ceilings in the #IsraelElections2019. No matter what happens in the election results, the fact a Druze woman is serving in the Israeli Knesset for the first time is major progress. A big mabrouk to the inspiring @GadeerMreeh! #Israel pic.twitter.com/CFFWIBiryq
— Emily Schrader – אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) April 9, 2019
7. i24 News Anchor Eylon Levy outlined some of the strengths of Israeli democracy.
https://twitter.com/EylonALevy/status/1115596216748756993
8. The Israel Advocacy Movement sent this powerful tweet to highlight that Jews are not defined by skin color.
So bored of the "Jews are white" vs. "Jews are people of colour" argument.
We refuse to partake in your identity fetish that seeks to categorise and rank the world by skin tone.
Our ancestors didn't care about skin colour, they were simply Jews.
And so are we ✡
— Joseph Cohen – IAM (@israel_advocacy) April 7, 2019
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9. HonestReporting’s Emanuel Miller responded to a particularly silly claim by Rebecca Vilkomerson, executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace, who was defending BDS leader Omar Barghouti.
Someone doesn't understand freedom of speech. Nobody is stopping him from speaking. He's welcome to speak as much as he wants. But America is under no obligation to let this hate-monger inside her borders. That's a privilege, not a divine right.
— Emanuel Miller ✡️ (@emanumiller) April 11, 2019
10. Israeli writer Tuvia Tenenbom exposed undeniable antisemitism from supposed anti-Zionists in Northern Ireland.
https://twitter.com/SussexFriends/status/1117176828140060672
11. Ariel Sobelle showed up a Palestinian Right of Return activist who claimed that Jewish citizens of Arab countries were merely ‘not being wanted’ rather than being honest enough to admit that they were massacred, expelled, and ran for their lives.
https://twitter.com/arielsobelle/status/1116782444521222144
12. The “Neontaster” account took Reza Aslan to task for hypocritically speaking out against extremism relating to Ilhan Omar while legitimizing other forms of hate.
Interesting that @rezaaslan spent all of yesterday retweeting claims about how violent rhetoric puts Ilhan Omar in danger while this very viral tweet of his is still up. pic.twitter.com/O1ePKajzbL
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) April 14, 2019
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