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A FORMER TRUMP administrative advisor has resigned from his position as an advisor for a Congressional candidate’s campaign in the fallout from a post to X he made last week calling for Israel to “drop napalm” over Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon.
Republican candidate for Congress, Dalia Al-Aquidi, stated that she “unequivocally condemn[s]” her former advisor’s post on X on Sunday.
Matthew RJ Brodsky had previously advised Trump administration’s Middle East peace team and the White House’s Palestinian-Israeli peace team. On Sunday, he posted to X, saying: “Israel should carpet bomb the Irish area and drop napalm over it”.
Irish troops are deployed to the area under UNIFIL, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. UNIFIL is Ireland’s largest overseas deployment as part of a joint Irish and Polish Battalion, including a contingent from Hungary and Malta.
The mission was established through a United Nations Security Council resolution that was passed to compel Israel to withdraw from Lebanon in the wake of their 1978 invasion of the country.
At the time of the post, Brodsky was working as an advisor for two Republican candidates for Congress: Al-Aquidi and John Nagel.
In a statement issued today, Al-Aquidi said that her campaign had requested and accepted Brodsky’s resignation as campaign manager.
“Mr. Brodsky recognized that stepping down was necessary following recent statements on X that do not reflect my values or the principles of my campaign,” she said. “I unequivocally condemn his statement.
I personally extend my sincerest apologies to the people of Ireland and anyone affected by the actions of a member of my campaign team.”
“As someone who has always been a steadfast supporter of the Jewish community both in my district and globally, I remain committed to promoting peace and upholding the dignity of all people, particularly our allies. These are the values I will carry forward into the general election.”
In the immediate aftermath of the comment, Al-Aquidi had distanced herself from Brodsky’s comment, on Monday saying: “I want to clarify that the statement below does not reflect my campaign, policies, or personal beliefs. I stand firmly against all forms of violence.”
John Nagel, whom Brodsky is advising in the election for the US Congress in Minnesota, has yet to comment. Nagel is an outspoken supporter of Israel and is strongly critical of Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, and Joe Biden.
Speaking yesterday in Washington DC, Taoiseach Simon Harris condemned Brodsky’s remark as “the most disgusting thing”.
Harris added that the statement was “entirely inappropriate” and “pretty despicable”.
Our peacekeepers are doing an extraordinary job, and have been for many decades. I think everybody in Ireland is very proud of them.
Harris said it has been a particularly difficult week for Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon – and their families back home – given the recent escalation in violence near their base.
“It was a moment of significant danger, and that danger persists. Families of peacekeepers are understandably concerned and stressed, as any of us would be if our loved one was in Lebanon at the moment.”
With reporting by Christina Finn.
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It should be a crime to deep fake someone without their consent.
@Jimmy Savage: Agreed, but when it happens to Martin, who in fairness went to the high court, he was derided.
And Google, etc, aren’t doing anything to prevent this, I’ve seen Anne Doyle, The girl from TV3 ,I’ve reported each one, the last one was ” Google couldn’t find the ad that I reported ” eventhough it still appears .
@Jimmy Savage: It is though. The Online Safety Act now makes it a criminal offence to share, or threaten to share, a manufactured or ‘deepfake’ intimate image or video of another person without his or her consent.
@Jimmy Savage: Sure, but over and over we see those social media companies not care a single whit once they make their profits. Any fines are are a rounding error.
I’m fine with labelled satire or parody or some stuff that is actually fun (things like Sassy Justice or ‘if My name is.. was written in 2021′.
There’s so much more that is just not okay at all that propagates on those platforms… faked political or Hollywood starlets…
Then you have the circular activity of bots responding to each other driving up engagement on those platforms, which is profit that they seem value more that any form of ethics.
@Jack Hayes: Explain why it continues then?
@ben wu: Absolutely and they don’t care . They have enabled suicide, self harm , allowed lies to seem acceptable they really are what the world needs to be angry at…..
@Paul O’Mahoney: There was more press coverage over here about something odd looking about a photo of Kate Middleton’s wrist in a family photo, than there has been about those issues…
@ben wu: Was there?
@Jack Hayes: no actually, it is a crime to share or threaten to share an intimate image shared with you. Nothing about manufactured or deepfake
@DerekF: Even if it was as he said then there would be nothing against sharing a non-intimate deepfake where the purpose is to deceive others.
@Paul O’Mahoney: Explain to you why people still do illegal things or how people get away with doing illegal things? You must be new to this world.
It was a paid advert so Facebook must know who paid for it. That person should be prosecuted!
Why is this not happening?
@Steve O’Hara-Smith: Most are ex our Jurisdiction, and are probably not real entities
There is some awful muck on Facebook…. Full Stop.
@james rowan: Still not as bad as all the nazi propaganda on X.
@james rowan: Hence FaceMuck
Very believable, apart from the American twang abd the way she pronounces Turbidy …
Thought it was a genuine SF broadcast. Fits well with their actual,financial policy.
@Alan: Yeah me too
Soon the default belief will be if it’s on the Internet it’s fake, hallucination, or just plain lies and propaganda.
Aka “I gave them all the tools but they could not use them.”
@smatrix mantra: I disagree with that , the Internet was launched for good intentions, and a reasonable return by investing is fine, but the way a minority has essentially monopolised its content is the problem.
All those software engineers, etc, could have equally written code that was of use to the world’s problems, but that didn’t happen .
I’m using it now to share thoughts, most don’t
@Paul O’Mahoney: Every leap in technology can be used as a tool or a weapon, unfortunately most of the time it’s both but weapons seem to have more impact globally.
Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. Albert Einstein.
That’s plain fake , not exactly deep fake
So sort it you legislators. It might cost a few thousand jobs. But what is the price of political stability?
Dennis O’Brien will take these charlatans to China Town. They are going down now.
Delete your Facebook account and other social media crap.
You will live happier
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