Lawyer and writer Josh Bornstein demanded an explanation from The Times of Israel on Thursday after the site published an op-ed under his name that advocated genocide of Palestinians.
The post, which sparked outrage across social media and was quickly taken down by the site, called Palestinians “cockroaches” and said that Israel should “exterminate them.”
The Times of Israel tweeted that it was “looking into” the post and noted that it did not endorse its content. The article ran under Bornstein’s byline, although several people noted that it looked nothing like anything else he had ever published.
At about 6 p.m.. EDT, Bornstein took to Twitter from his home in Australia to clarify that not only had he not written the “racist” pro-genocide post, but that he had never started an account at the Times in the first place.
“I didn’t write that shit,” he said. He noted he was a “secular atheist,” contrary to the religious tone of the piece. He later added that he suspected the site was hacked.
Bornstein said he wanted an explanation from the Times of Israel.
The last time someone posted a pro-genocide op-ed on the site, people pointed out that the Times of Israel hosts a “self-publishing” platform in which some people can contribute opinion blogs that are not edited or endorsed by the site.
But if Bornstein had never posted before, despite there being an active account in his name, it raises the question of how someone might impersonate him and how the Times of Israel approves its contributors.
@AboudDandachi @AAhronheim @wsscherk @TimesofIsrael so I gather from the hate filling my twitter feed. I am a secular atheist FFS.
— Josh Bornstein (@JoshBBornstein) April 9, 2015
@basketcase68 @MoonMetropolis @ASankin No. I didn’t write that shit.
— Josh Bornstein (@JoshBBornstein) April 9, 2015
@boerneaj @AboudDandachi @AAhronheim @wsscherk @TimesofIsrael Not sure. Distracted by lots of hate in my feed about an article I didn’t pen
— Josh Bornstein (@JoshBBornstein) April 9, 2015
@Soulphood No. Not my article. I would like an explanation for this from @TimesofIsrael.
— Josh Bornstein (@JoshBBornstein) April 9, 2015
@AboudDandachi @AAhronheim @wsscherk @TimesofIsrael
I have not written anything for the Times of Israel. Ever. WTF???
— Josh Bornstein (@JoshBBornstein) April 9, 2015
@honestlyAbroad @TimesofIsrael I suspect it’s a hacker
— Josh Bornstein (@JoshBBornstein) April 9, 2015
Yeah, I’d be pissed off too.
Surely this has got to lead to one of the most valuable lawsuits ever.
My daughter backed my car into a beemer this morning and did quite a bit of damage.
My day was still better than this guy’s.
I wouldn’t even dignify it by calling it that.
It was way worse.
Bear in mind the limited space available in a tweet.