Several Israeli official Twitter accounts have posted "solidarity" and "sympathy" messages with the Lebanese people in the wake of the Beirut port explosions that shocked the world two days ago, but most Lebanese commentators were not impressed.
Under the guidance of the @Israel_MOD and @IsraelMFA, Israel has offered to send humanitarian & medical assistance to Lebanon via security and international channels.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 4, 2020
This is the time to transcend conflict. pic.twitter.com/tUvGFTGBeR
Posting in Arabic and English, Israeli official social media expressed their desire to "transcend conflict" and "offered to send humanitarian and medical assistance to Lebanon." They also shared videos of Israeli young people "sending a message of support and solidarity with the people of Lebanon."
Watch: Israelis share a message of support and solidarity with the people of #Lebanon, following the #BeirutBlast.
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) August 5, 2020
We wish those affected by the explosion a quick recovery. 🇮🇱🇱🇧 pic.twitter.com/Mdffq76QBt
However, many Lebanese Twitter users rejected the Israeli messages saying that they "don't believe sympathy from a country that has attacked theirs several times in the past," referring to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and the 2006 Israeli attack which killed about 1200 civilians in different Lebanese cities.
Israel threatened to bomb Lebanon like 96 hours ago
— Conrad🧀Queso (@quesoliker) August 4, 2020
Israel has invaded, bombed and violated Lebanese airspace and maritime waters on countless occasions over many years now, killing vast numbers of Lebanese civilians in the process. Tel Aviv’s ‘offer’ to ‘help’ Lebanon is crude and sickening Israeli propaganda. #BeirutBlast
— Dr Marcus Papadopoulos (@DrMarcusP) August 5, 2020
Additionally, some tweets highlighted Israeli threats of "a massive attack" on the country if Iranian-backed Hezbollah retaliated for the Israeli killing of one its members in Syria a few weeks ago, suggesting that past Israeli attacks on Hezbollah didn't spare the country's infrastructure and civilian population."
Some also stressed the fact that the Israeli military still occupies the Lebanese territories of Shebaa Farms.
Stop wearing the dress of humanity and passion. Your crimes in Beirut and Lebanon in 1982 and 2006 have not been forgotten
— Abood haj ☪️✝️🇵🇸🇵🇸 (@Aboodhaj97) August 4, 2020
— Nour (@NourZein128) August 4, 2020
Supporting their points, a few tweets referred to a tweet posted by an Israeli politician a week ago, in which he pointed at "Israeli readiness to launch an attack against Lebanon."
Hmmmm after i see what happened today in Lebanon. I don’t know if it was really a firework warehouse or just a well planned attack on a population?
— You Can’t Hide (@The_lostt_one) August 4, 2020
Still not over it. We hope you had nothing to do with what happened today. The terror we are still living 7 hours later is the same we felt in 2006. Then the Sea, now the Air. We also fleed our homes, if any survived... we still live in terror https://t.co/3R3aU0hdv9
— لهلوبة الحيّ 🇱🇧 (@lahloubaa) August 4, 2020
Social media commentators also went on to suspect the Israeli role in the blast, especially as the reason for the fire that triggered the huge blast, remains unknown.
Online people questioning Israel's "potential involvement" in the blast refered to a 2018 speech made by the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the UN Headquarters in New York, in which he presented aerial photos of the Beirut sites including the city's main port to "show" warehouses where he claimed that Hezbollah stores arms.
نتنياهو يرفع في الأمم المتحدة صورة لمطار بيروت؛ قال حينها إن حزب الله يخزن متفجرات في عدة مواقع منها مرفأ بيروت. هل لإسرائيل يد بشكل أو بآخر في انفجار بيروت#انفجار_المرفأ
— michelabouzeid (@EedFawzi) August 5, 2020
Translation: "Netanyahu held photos of Beirut airport at the UN and claimed at that time that Hezbollah stores explosives in several sites including the city's port. Does Israel have anything to do with the Beirut blast?"
