Avengers star Mark Ruffalo elicited several mixed responses on Tuesday after tweeting about the violent clashes taking place between Israeli police and Palestinian demonstrators at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount.
"Starting on Friday, almost 500 Palestinians were arrested by the Israeli occupation authorities from Al-Aqsa Mosque, and, as you said, 170 were injured, several of whom were in critical condition and several of whom were journalists…targeted by design by the Israeli soldiers," Ruffalo tweeted, quoting Mohammed El-Kurd, who made the comment on Monday during an interview with Democracy Now!
"Starting on Friday, almost 500 Palestinians were arrested by the Israeli occupation authorities from Al-Aqsa Mosque, and, as you said, 170 were injured, several of whom were in critical condition and several of whom were journalists…targeted by design by the Israeli soldiers." https://t.co/Z7rANpFQnY
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) April 19, 2022
StandWithUs Executive Director Michael Dickson responded to Ruffalo, who played the Hulk in several Marvel superhero films, criticizing the actor for spreading misinformation about the situation in Al-Aqsa.
"Terror orgs push a lie that Al Aqsa is in danger to incite violence between Muslims & Jews. Western slacktivists like @MarkRuffalo give that lie a massive audience," Dickson wrote in a tweet.
"The result is violence. And if there is bloodshed, Mark will have some blood on his hands."
Dickson wrote in another tweet that Ruffalo could have used his platform "to calm tensions, expose the truth that a small number of Hamas [supporters] are preventing peaceful prayer at a holy site & endangering lives. He knows his tweets add fuel to the fire. It’s irresistible to him, and irresponsible of him."
"Where is your commentary about the rioters INSIDE Al-Aqsa stockpiling mortars to throw?! Where is your commentary about the rioters INSIDE Al-Aqsa playing soccer?! Where is your commentary about the rioters INSIDE Al-Aqsa wearing Hamas terror flags?!" The StopAntisemitism.org group also said in response Ruffalo.
Last year, Ruffalo, along with 100 other celebrities, signed a letter that accused Israel of "apartheid occupation and settler colonialism," as well as "gross human rights violations" and being an "apartheid regime of institutionalized racial discrimination."
In 2020, he accused Israel of apartheid and engaging in "asymmetrical warfare" on Palestinians.
In 2021, Ruffalo urged the US to sanction Israel during its conflict with the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip, although he later apologized for accusing Israel of genocide.