Twitter Refuses to Take Down Ex-Congress Member’s Antisemitic 9/11 Tweet

Twitter’s rules enforcement team have turned down a request from the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) to remove an antisemitic tweet by ex-congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, which featured a conspiratorial graphic blaming “Zionists” for 9/11.

The graphic, posted on June 28, depicts a puzzle board made up of a photo of the burning Twin Towers, with the missing piece labeled “Zionists” and corresponding pieces reading “did it”.

The Final Piece of the Puzzle . . . pic.twitter.com/OCmpB9d6A0

— Cynthia McKinney PhD (@cynthiamckinney) June 28, 2021

Using the term as a thinly-veiled euphemism for “Jews”, Cynthia effectively blamed the Jewish community for nothing less than the deadliest terror attack in world history.

In an emailed response, the social media giant informed CAM of their shocking decision – to leave the widely-shared tweet, which remains pinned at the top of Cynthia’s feed, untouched.

“Upon review, our enforcement team decided the tweets flagged are not in violation of our rules at this time” read yesterday’s statement from Twitter.

While insisting “antisemitism has no place on Twitter” and that the company’s rules “prohibit hateful conduct”, a supposed lack of clarity regarding the tweet’s antisemitic nature was cited as a rationale for the company’s decision.

This is despite the term “Zionists” being used well outside of its original meaning (individuals from any background who support the right of self-determination for Jewish people) and in a nefarious and conspiratorial context, such that it could only be referencing Jews.

Moreover, other recent tweets of hers include one which accused “the Rothschild conglomerate of hirelings, traitors and sycophants” of controlling the world’s central banks, and another from last year questioning the veracity of the “six million” figure for Jews killed in the Holocaust, all of which was highlighted in CAM’s letter to Twitter.

Now, do you think I believe one word emanating from any government whose central bank is owned by the Rothschild conglomerate of hirelings, traitors, and sycophants? https://t.co/LoV1cF4wc9

— Cynthia McKinney PhD (@cynthiamckinney) June 26, 2021

Cynthia’s antisemitism controversies date back to her 2002 Democratic primary campaign, in which she ran on a 9/11 ‘truther’ ticket, with “Jews” repeatedly blamed by close associates of hers for her faltering in the polls and eventual defeat.

Conspiracy theories blaming Jews and Israel for 9/11 have a long history of fuelling antisemitic discourse online, as well as physical hate crimes against Jewish communities around the world.

In February of this year, graffiti reading “Jews did this” was spray-painted in front of a 9/11 memorial at a Miami-Dade fire station, while “9/11” beside stars of David were daubed on the walls of Jewish-owned stores and a synagogue in north-west London in December 2019.