CAIR Calls Van Jones Apology for Joking About Slaughtered Palestinian Children a ‘Positive But Insufficient’ Step
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said an apology issued by CNN commentator Van Jones after he mockingly and falsely dismissed images of slaughtered Palestinian children on social media as a foreign disinformation campaign aimed at young Americans is a “positive but insufficient step.”
CAIR said that Jones should fully retract his false claim, acknowledge Israel’s responsibility for killing the children whose deaths he dismissed, recognize the Gaza genocide as a genocide, and meet with Palestinian-American leaders.
In his apology, Jones said in part: “Babies are dying every day in Gaza. Nobody should dispute that fact or make light of it in any way. To the people living in fear and burying family members every day, of all ages — I apologize.”
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“The only thing worse than Van Jones laughing about murdered children was his false claim that the images of those children show up on social media and anger young Americans because of a foreign disinformation campaign.
“Van Jones’ initial apology is a positive but insufficient step. He still has not admitted that he lied about this imaginary conspiracy, nor has he even specifically acknowledged that Israel is responsible for both killing the children he callously dismissed and running a real, massive pressure campaign to censor social media.
“Van Jones should retract his false claim, recognize Israel’s responsibility for the Gaza genocide, and meet with Palestinian leaders to correct the disinformation from the Israeli government that has clearly warped his views and his moral compass.”
He said CAIR continues to call on all media figures, politicians, and institutions to recognize the humanity of Palestinians and to advocate for an immediate end to the genocide in Gaza and for lasting justice.
Yesterday, CAIR said President Trump must force Israel stop it genocide in Gaza after indicted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu blatantly ignored the president’s ceasefire demand by killing at least 61 people – including four aid seekers in attacks since dawn despite the president’s call for an end to the bombing.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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Syndicated columnist, radio host, writer at Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.
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Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today
Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].
Follow RayHanania at Twitter
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