WATCH
Fact-Check – Did Helen Zille tweet unconditional support for Israel in 2010?
Did Helen Zille tweet unconditional support for Israel in 2010? Or is it the work of a rogue Twitter account impersonating the DA chair?
“We will support Israel without holding back.”
That is the content of a viral tweet currently doing the rounds which appears to have been posted from the Twitter account of DA chairperson Helen Zille in 2010.
we will support Israel without holding back!
— Hellen Zille (@HellenZille) November 8, 2010
Despite being ostensibly a 14-year-old tweet, it is currently circulating in obvious reference to the current Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip. In mid-January, it was retweeted by EFF leader Julius Malema to his more than 4 million followers.
In reality, there is an obvious tell that something is amiss here: the name “Helen Zille” is misspelled in the Twitter handle, with two L’s in Helen. Clicking on the Twitter account in question reveals a fake account which has tweeted just four times in history, all within a four-day period in 2010.
The handful of other tweets posted by the fake Helen Zille account are equally provocative, such as “What is good for white people is good for South Africa”.
Unfortunately, the reason why some people will find these posts plausible is because the real Helen Zille Twitter account has published some highly questionable tweets over the years — including one in 2017 which made international news by seeming to extol the benefits of colonialism.
But the Israel tweet is fake: Zille did not tweet “We will support Israel without holding back” in 2010. It is the work of a rogue Twitter account impersonating the DA chair.
The real Helen Zille has actually shared her views on the conflict in the Middle East in the past. In 2014, she published a newsletter headlined “My position on Israel and Gaza” which actually reflects slightly more liberal views than the DA holds today on the issue.
She wrote, for instance, that she personally believed that Israel should “end the blockade of Gaza” and “withdraw its settlements from the West Bank”.
Since the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, it does not appear that the real Helen Zille has tweeted on the matter.
The willingness of people to believe that Zille did tweet unconditional support for Israel is clearly linked to criticism of the DA for the party’s stance on Israel. Many people in the Western Cape in particular believe that the DA should be taking a much stronger position critical of the Israeli onslaught on Gaza. There was also an outcry at the demotion of DA MP Ghaleb Cachalia after he described the actions of Israel in Gaza as “genocide”.
But on the single issue of whether Helen Zille tweeted unconditional support for Israel in 2010, the record is clear: she did not. DM
Well, Zille is an expert in tweeting, ala Donald Trump. She is in my opinion just somebody that will do anything to get attention, and still does. But I guess that is also relevant to virtually all politicians. Self image so much more important than those they are suppose to represent
Hopefully she is aware of the tweet and she will reach out and clarify it at this stage she should be deemed innocent.
The hacking of accounts is gross these days.
It’s not a hacked account (no one managed to gain access to her own account), it’s impersonation. Her account is @helenzille, while the one that tweeted this is @hellenzille.
Coen, do you support hamas or israel?
Davis really digs deep for the slightest perceived “dirt”, doesn’t she?
DM, please up your bar.
Heading should have been, “Helen Zille did NOT tweet the ……….” . For some reason it appears females like to badmouth strong females and we will go for Zille, then we cover the DA as well
Zille is an intelligent lady, committed to a better South Africa for all. South Africa could do a lot worse in its choice of politicians – and does so reliably.
I agree with you
And so what if she did, there’s nothing wrong with supporting Israel? What’s more the only reason anyone is moaning about supporting Israel is because of a hypocritical and cynical attempt by the ANC to use the Israel/Hamas war to its own ends. This is just another attempt by the anti-DA morons ( who are only anti-DA because it’s so fashionable to be so ) to muckrake.
I, for one, wouldn’t mind seeing a regular fact-check feature on DM. It doesn’t have to be elaborate — this concise format works well.
Amen!
Agreed.
Fact check is fine. But not with a click-bait headline.
Hamas started the war on Israel and not for the first time, and now they are complaining, they only have themselves to blame. Israel has every right to defend itself. Hamas and the Muslim terrorists organisations are trying to cripple the Middle East and need to be taken out. South Africa is becoming a communist country, supporting the likes of Hamas and the ME Moslem organisations
It would help Anne if you check what Israel has been doing since 1948 up until today in the illegal settlements and in Gaza, I think you innocently defend them because you believe they are innocent.
One terror cannot be condemned and one condoned.
Shouldn’t the illegal occupation and control of a nation be wrong?
Hear, hear! The Israeli propaganda machine has done a good job portraying Zionism in a positive light over the years. We do not need secular states in the 21st century.
Hamas is also a propaganda machine, and according to the UN, they are terrorists.
Please fact-check this post also! None so blind as those who refuse to see! Or locked in their ideological cul de sac.
This roughly applies to 90% of comments on the topic, whether pro-Israel or pro-Hamas.
So true. The main reason I won’t comment on this tragedy is because I’m not involved, not knowledgeable enough and the untangling of my inherent biases would take longer than this war likely will.
I have my opinion, but that’s not worth an R11 note.
While there have been many criticisms of Israel, I don’t remember much all-out support for Hamas.
Hamas did not start the war. Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine and its blockade of Gaza is the root cause. It’s continued policy of extending settlements in Palestinian territories adds more fuel to the fire.
Palestinians are merely fighting for their freedom just like black people fire theirs under apartheid. Liberations movements were labeled terrorist organizations and banned. The Mandelas of this world were called terrorists only to be catapulted to Saints after they betrayed the struggle
Nothing happened on 7 Oct?
Do you know where Palestine is? Doubt it
Actually the zionists started taking land from the Palestinians in the 1890s. From the late 1920’s they started terrorist attacks on Palestinians. In 1948 they committed massacres of civilians to steal their land to establish Israel. This is called the Nakba. In 1967 they conquered the land which was meant to be the territory of the Palestinian state as per the 1947 UN resolution. So this war not started by Hamas on 7 October 2023 .
Actually they started buying land from the 1890’s to 1940’s .Expropriation only occurred after Independence . The original Zionist bought their land .
No wonder you failed at politics
Are you a CNN presenter?
And nobody calls out the real puppet master – Iran that is only supporting Shia Muslims or, anybody that will wage war on their behalf. Very few actually talk about it or even mentions that bit.
And where woman are jailed whipped to death or die in questionable circumstances for not wearing the veil correctly. Did anyone see the film “The stoning of Soria M?”
I agree with your comments Ann, Israel has tried to negotiate a 2 state solution on numerous occasions, but each time Hamas has rejected them because they do not want to live next to Israel and wants them annihilated.
Try and educate yourself, Ms Knight, about the history of Israel and Palestine. The 7th Oct did not happen in a vacuum and the Palestinians have been under the oppression and violence of the Israelis for 75 years. Before social media we didn’t have much chance to escape the Israeli propaganda and hear the truth but now we do. I suggest you watch Al Jazeera for a few days to see the suffering of the Palestinian civilians.
The complaints are against the massacre of many thousands of civilians in Gaza, they are not against any direct warfare against legitimate Hamas opponents.
Isn’t the spreading of fake news punishable by law?
And so what if she did? The ANC has pledged unconditional support for Hamas. The bullying that is going on – often in DM comments – against anyone that pledges support for Israel is reprehensible.
Side effect of a long term campaign to paint Israel in the worst possible light. All its really done is prolong the problems in Gaza, which I am pretty sure would have happened a long time ago were it not for the fanatical need Hamas, Iran et al have to constantly declare they want to destroy Israel. That attitude has completely sunk any and all efforts to resolve matters. Its maybe a bit ironic that the harsh treatment of Gaza by Israel is a direct result of the position of Hamas et al – all while they complain bitterly about unfairly they are treated. Its about time for the fanatics on both sides to get out the way and let the reasonable people sort this out.
Is that not the same argument that was used about our apartheid regime ? Remember the big ‘communist’ threat ?
This is deliberate attempt by the supreme leader to destabilise the opposition and get more votes most probably
Just a reminder … we have a ‘western’ style democracy with a constitution ! Just like the one in the US where one scoundrel tried to ‘overturn’ it with a mob, with claims that an election was ‘stolen’ .. but could not produce ANY evidence thereof !
I have developed a really bad taste in my mouth when hearing the term “Journalism or Journalists” over the last few years. It is possible that the type of news casts by CN and Fox developed that, but it has spread much wider. From the days that news meant reporting the facts and the back ground to more often, these days, and opinion piece.
The statement in the above “Fact Check”about the colonialism remark and African Leftist media frenzy that brought on is case in point. It seems it is only in Africa that it is a “fact” that colonialism only brought misery and negative outcomes. I come from a family that lost numerous ancestors in the concentration camps, had a father that lost his career due to Jan Smuths’ love affair with the royals.
An interesting contrast was an interview with Indians in India. There was a rickshaw driver that answered to the question about the British rule or the colonial times – “It does not effect me – go and ask people who lived through it”. The message was, colonialism cannot be blamed ton 202x conditions any longer.
Only in Africa is it still an issue, and so is slavery. The African kings/chiefs/traders had nothing to do with slavery????
But both are reported as a fact. Wonder how long the “ANC Miracle” is going to be sold as the best of times!!!!
This, as mentioned is a very old story line in the soap opera that is SA politics. I can’t be the only waiting for more of this weeks hot story arc in this week’s episode of the Gaza Sag. My prediction: The Ghaleb Cacchalia saga is going to cause eye-rolling similar to the reaction to Little John’s turnip of an election video.
Who can forget him speeching, flanked by random older Black folks waving SA flags as he extolled the virtues of his saviouring capabilities for SA. To be fair, he never said anything too unfortunate – but the visuals were cringeworthy enough to feel like a prequel to the old lady who wanted to teach Black people how to wash their hands.
Fact-Check – Stop with the “Fact-Check” BS. You are not fact checkers, stop pretending that what you say is gospel. Write your story and check your facts. Trust me, I’m a doctor.
I haven’t been a fan of Mrs Zille for a while but I am a fan of facts if they are available and appreciate that the misinformation has been pointed out.
Whatever her position on this and other issues, what she did well can’t be ignored and her current performance should be measured by current standards. In South African politics she’s far from the worst.
These days, we should not rule out the “least-worst” when it comes to our politicians as they may the “best-worst” for which we can hope.
So what if the real Helen Zille tweeted that? She is entitled to a view, and supporting the only democratic state in the Middle East is a pretty sensible view. I find it amazing that SA can support Russia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Iran and China amongst the other human rights abusers in the world, protect Putin and Al Bashir, refuse the Dalai Lama a VISA and basically go against everything the free world stands for and then think it knows something about foreign affairs? Whether or not you agree with Zille, at least her positions are based on facts.
I do not like “political exploitation of the press.” It happens too often around the world and usually it is the cause of miss-representation according to party lines.
It is a fact that politicians will miss use the press whenever they can grab the opportunity. I appreciate Daily Maverik for reporting without trying to push an opinion on it’s readers. This is worth a million bucks! The fact that DM does not exclude anyone from reading the news is commendable, if you appreciate this reporting, consider a contribution, nothing is too small. (I do not work for DM. I have only come to enjoy reporting without a hidden agenda! Johan
Once again, DM, you are not fact-checkers. People believe tweets like that because media put out “Fact-checked” ( ie, trust me, I am a jorno). There are actual fact-checking professional organisations that have to fact check you. Stop pretending to be fact-checkers.