Angelina Jolie reportedly said that “Arabs and Muslims are not terrorists” and that “the world should unite against Israel.” Here is the truth
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Angelina Jolie said: “Arabs and Muslims are not terrorists. The world should unite against Israel. »
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The protracted and often bloody Israeli-Palestinian conflict exploded into a hot war on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel and Israel responded by bombing the Gaza Strip. More than 20,000 people, the vast majority Palestinians, are believed to have been killed in the first two months of the war alone. The violence is motivated by mutual hostilities and territorial ambitions dating back more than a century. The Internet has become an unofficial front in this war and is full of misinformation, which Snopes works to counter with facts and context. You can help. Read the latest fact checks. Submit questionable claims. Become a Snopes member to support our work. We appreciate your participation and comments.
On April 28, 2024, a user on X (formerly Twitter) job a meme quote that claimed Oscar winner Angelina Jolie once said, “Arabs and Muslims are not terrorists. The world should unite against Israel.”
However, Snopes found no credible evidence that Jolie ever said those words, nor did she say anything that closely resembled that sentiment. The quote was the first reported (archived) as false by BBC Verify journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh, after being shared by another user in November 2023.
A community note was added to the post by other users who clarified that the quote was false.
Snopes previously contacted Jolie through her Instagram open posts to ask if she had any reaction to the fake quote being promoted online. We will update this article if a response is received.
In this story, we’ll lay out all the facts regarding the history of the quote, as well as Jolie’s true thoughts regarding the war between Israel and Hamas.
2015: Another quote with Jolie’s photo
The fake quote has appeared online for many years alongside Jolie’s name. For example, a Google search found a similar quote that was tweeted (archived) in 2015.
Another person replied (archived) to the tweet asking for proof that Jolie said this but received no response.
2009: “I received this in an email”
A clue to the origins of this quote appeared in a January 18, 2009 (archived) blog post on Israellycool.com. An author of the blog said that an Internet forum user mentioned that an email message was circulating at the time. The Israelicool.com writer called it “the era’s funniest fake Hollywood take on the Middle East conflict.” Jolie’s fake quote was included in the list:
Dear friends,
I received this in an email. No sources were available (well, I wonder why- ed.).
“If the Arabs are strong enough, they will destroy the whole world. So we should wipe them out.” -Keanu Reeves
“Arabs are dirtier creatures than animals and we Jews are the chosen people. There is no comparison.” -Harrison Ford
“I don’t know much about it, but we have to end the war to stop the bloodshed on both sides.” -Sandra Bullock
“Take a look at the history of Israel and you will know who the terrorist is.” -Al Pacino
“Humanity became aware of its existence when Israel was created.” -Dustin Hoffman
“WE now live in a jungle where the strong eat the weak. We are no better than the Arabs in despising them.” -Ralph Fiennes
“The Arabs are the source of terrorism. They do not spare anyone without attacking them. I hope Israel destroys them all.” -Tom Cruise
“Israel means war and destruction and we Americans are behind this war. I am ashamed to be an American.” -Anthony Hopkins
“Both sides are wrong and the killings must stop.” – Will Smith
“Bush, Sharon, Blair and Rice are names that history will d*mn.” -George Clooney
“Arabs and Muslims are not terrorists. The world should unite against Israel.” -Angelina Jolie
“The Arabs are a burden on the world and should be wiped out.” -Richard Gere
“We’re talking from the perspective of strength, what if we were the weakest?” -Sean Connery
“The Zionists are the source of destruction. I wish I could fight against them.” -Mel Gibson
Snopes found no evidence that these quotes were real.
The writer on Israellycool.com added: “I can actually believe Mel Gibson’s quote” – an apparent reference to disparaging remarks Oscar winner Mel Gibson had previously made about Jewish people.
2006: “A Poll” of “15 Prominent Hollywood Stars”
According to Google, the earliest known publication of Jolie’s fake quote appeared in an August 23, 2006 article on IkhwanWeb.com. The article also included some of the same false quotes published by Israellycool.com in 2009. The website IkhwanWeb.com presents itself as the official English-language website of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The article cited “a poll conducted (that) included 15 prominent Hollywood stars” but did not include any sources. This appears to be similar to the purported email mentioned by Israellycool.com in 2009. Snopes contacted IkhwanWeb.com staff via email and will update this story if we receive a response.
Jolie’s Real Thoughts on the Israel-Hamas War
Leaving aside the fake quote mentioning Jolie’s name, the actor actually made remarks about the war between Israel and Hamas.
In an October 28, 2023 Instagram post featuring three slides of text, Jolie called the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel a “terrorist act” and said she was “praying for the immediate and safe return of every hostage , and for the families who carry the unimaginable pain of the murder of a loved one.” She also said that the Hamas attack “cannot justify the innocent lives lost in the bombardment of a civilian population in Gaza”, and added that she believed that “humanity demands an immediate ceasefire.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy9SyvpyV0p/
A few days later, in another Instagram post on November 1, Jolie posted a photo of the bombed Jabalia refugee camp and said in part: “By refusing to demand a humanitarian ceasefire and preventing the Council UN Security Council to impose one on both sides, world leaders are complicit in these crimes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzHDsD1x8s9/
Sources:
Al-Mughrabi, Nidal and Emily Rose. “Israel strikes dense Gaza camp, says it kills Hamas commander.” ReutersOctober 31, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-says-it-fires-israeli-troops-pressing-gaza-ground-assault-2023-10-31/.
“Angelina Jolie.” Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/angelinajolie/.
Lange, David. “Operation Cast Lead, Sunday January 18, 2009.” Israellycool.comJanuary 18, 2009, https://www.israellycool.com/2009/01/18/operation-cast-lead-sun-jan-18th-2009/.
“Mel Gibson responds to accusations of anti-Semitism.” ABC NewsOctober 12, 2006, https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/LegalCenter/story?id=2557656&page=1.
“Survey: More than half of Hollywood stars against Israeli aggression.” IkhwanWeb.comAugust 23, 2006, https://ikhwanweb.com/survey:-over-half-of-hollywood/.
Tugtekin, Elif. “Angelina Jolie speaks out against global injustice, the fact that some groups have rights and others have none.” Anadolu AgencyDecember 22, 2023, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/angelina-jolie-decries-global-justice-how-some-groups-have-rights-and-others-have-none/ 3090268.
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