Ex-Georgia lawmaker ties Israel to deadly terror attacks
Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney implied Israel was behind recent terrorist attacks in France and Germany on social media over the weekend, the latest in a history of anti-Semitic remarks from the ex-Georgia lawmaker.
McKinney posted a video on Twitter with the message: “Same Israeli photographer captures Nice and Munich tragedies. How likely is that? Remember the Dancing Israelis?”
The video asserted that A German journalist married to a former Israeli lawmaker was nearby when a truck driver killed 84 people when he barreled through a crowd watching fireworks in Nice, France and when a gunman killed nine at a mall in Munich, Germany. Her comments were roundly rebuked by Jewish groups and others.
Her "Dancing Israelis" phrase is a reference to a discredited conspiracy theory that Israelis in New York were dancing in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.
This isn't the first time McKinney, the Green Party presidential nominee in 2008, has landed in the news for controversial remarks. She tweeted a link to a controversial French comedian last year who had a history of making hateful comments. She asserted that the bombs at the Boston Marathon were an inside job. And her father was known for espousing anti-Semitic views.
She landed back in the national news after members of her entourage spewed anti-Semitic rhetoric at members of the media during another election battle in 2006. And after she was ousted from Congress, she hopped aboard ships that sought to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza strip and associated herself with Holocaust deniers.
About the Author
Tamar Hallerman is an award-winning senior reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She covers the Fulton County election interference case and co-hosts the Breakdown podcast.
