Who among us hasn't had that moment where we believe in something so fervently that it seems to appear right before us? That's exactly what happened to pro-Palestinian supporters after a tweet posted by Jewish-American actor Ben Stiller.
On Monday, tennis star Rafael Nadal faced a defeat against Alexander Zverev in the first round of Roland Garros. After his loss, Nadal bid farewell to the audience, hinting that there's "a high chance I won't return to play at Roland Garros." In response, Stiller posted "RAFA" followed by three fist emojis.
As a result, some pro-Palestinian commenters overlooked the missing 'H' in "RAFAH" (Rafah) from Stiller's tweet, and convinced themselves the actor must be meaning to take a pro-Palestinian stance.
However, Israeli users made sure to clear the air about the Jewish start's meaning. "Oh my God, he didn't add the H," tweeted Foster395, while another advised, "Calm down, he means tennis."
"Hahahahaha I'm crying tears," tweeted Maya Goldin, with Idan echoing, "Best cry I've ever had." Paula succinctly added: "He's Jewish, he definitely doesn't mean Rafah."
Hamza Jaber, who originally posted about Stiller's alleged support of the Palestinians, eventually realized the actor was referring to Rafael Nadal. In a self-reflective tweet, he wrote: "I really thought he was tweeting for Gaza - but after a few minutes, I realized he might just be tweeting for Rafael Nadal."
In conclusion, Stiller is an American-Jewish actor who voiced his support for Israel in the war's earlier stages. Following the horrific massacre by Hamas, Stiller thanked U.S. President Biden in an Instagram post for the release of two American hostages and called for the release of the others.