The Prime Minister of Israel attempted to score some public-relations points on Tuesday, but the stunt backfired.
Here's how it happened: The office of Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu announced that it would be holding a Q&A on Thursday. The event would be organized through the #AskNetanyahu hashtag.
LIVE TWITTER Q&A: Prime Minister Netanyahu answers your questions.
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) May 10, 2016
Tweet your questions at: #AskNetanyahu pic.twitter.com/Gz63c1uBZ8
Israel launched the event in honor of Independence Day, which is Thursday. Palestinians refer to this day as "Nakba Day" and remember the occasion on May 15. The word nakba means "catastrophe" in Arabic.
Twitter users immediately pounced on Netanyahu.
"Who do you identify with the most: Voldemort, Darth Vader or Hannibal Lector? You may pick more than 1 answer #AskNetanyahu," wrote one user.
Hi @IsraeliPM
— Raz (@raztweets) May 10, 2016
Who do you identify with the most: Voldemort, Darth Vader or Hannibal Lector? You may pick more than 1 answer #AskNetanyahu
"Which war crime is your favorite hobby? #AskNetanyahu," asked Ramah Kudaimi.
which war crime is your favorite hobby? #AskNetanyahu
— Ramah Kudaimi (@ramahkudaimi) May 10, 2016
Others used the hashtag to post videos of Israeli aggression and mocked Netanyahu for calling the Israel Defense Forces the "most moral army in the world."
#AskNetanyahu Can you watch This ?
— Said Shoaib (@saidshouib) May 10, 2016
This is the Most Moral Army in the World pic.twitter.com/pyDfFMWmsj
Others asked painful personal questions related to the Israeli occupation.
@netanyahu why did you kidnap my uncle's neighbor and their kids in Louza and their house is completely destroyed? #AskNetanyahu
— Mandy (@bader_mandy) May 10, 2016
and:
@netanyahu why can't my family in the Khalil leave their city at all? Why have they never been outside al Khalil? #AskNetanyahu
— Mandy (@bader_mandy) May 10, 2016
and also:
Why are there over 5 different checkpoints next to my house, making it impossible for my relatives to get through their day? #AskNetanyahu
— Ameera (@ameeritalsham) May 10, 2016
Others used the occasion to attack Netanyahu for war crimes in Gaza:
#AskNetanyahu
— Güllü (@Memleketim_36) May 10, 2016
Did you dream sometimes of the kids who are killed in Ghaza? Did you hear they crying ?
and:
#AskNetanyahu about thousands he murdered in Gaza and rest of occupied Palestine to gain votes. pic.twitter.com/ACpeKM5MN9
— Palestine Info Centr (@palinfoen) May 10, 2016
Lastly, some people were just content to make fun of Netanyahu for not having had the foresight to recognize that his Q&A would inevitably become a public-relations nightmare.
Don't do it, don't do it!! Ah, sh*t we have done it. #AskNetanyahu https://t.co/qZGnHeUZZJ
— Rejinath (@RejinathR) May 10, 2016
--Hunter Stuart
