Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton A. Klein  and Director of Special Projects Liz Berney, Esq. released the following statement:

The New York Daily News cover outrageously mocked and demeaned Ivanka Trump at the U.S. Embassy opening in Jerusalem, Israel.  In addition, the Daily News cover falsely called the Hamas and Hamas-allied Molotov-cocktail-hurling mobs, bomb-planters and gunmen attempting to murder Israelis, mere “protesters,” and falsely claimed that Israel’s last resort defensive shootings of terrorists was a “slaughter.”   The New York Daily News owes Ms. Trump – and Israel – and its readers an apology for its utterly shameful cover and related distorted stories. 

The Daily News cover (which can be viewed at:  “New York Daily News Slammed for Mocking ‘Deplorable’ Ivanka Trump as ‘Daddy’s Little Ghoul’,” by Brian Flood, Fox News, May 15, 2018) showed a picture of Ivanka Trump speaking at the U.S. Embassy opening, along with a caption of an allegedly wounded Gazan rioter (NOTE: many of these Gazan pictures are staged), together with utterly reprehensible, sexist, demeaning, distorted headlines, that blared:  

“DADDY’S LITTLE GHOUL” 

“55 Slaughtered in Gaza, but Ivanka All Smiles at Jerusalem Embassy Unveil”

“A seemingly First Daughter Ivanka Trump puts on glamorous face for U.S. Embassy opening in Jerusalem on Monday, while 50 miles away in Gaza (top right), protesters remove one of injured in bloody clashes with Israelis.”  

In addition, an accompanying Daily News article, misleading entitled “Dozens of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces at Gaza border, thousands injured in protests over U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem,” (by Christopher Brennan and Janon Fisher, New York Daily News, May 14, 2018) falsely called the U.S. Embassy opening “a major diplomatic fiasco . . . when Israeli forces killed more than 50 protesters and injured over 1,200 along the Gaza Strip during the festivities.”  

The New York Daily News’ reference to Ivanka Trump as “Daddy’s Little Ghoul” is sexist and demeaning.

Further, it is despicable and absurd for the Daily News to portray Ivanka Trump and all those who shared the joy of the seventy-years-overdue opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, Israel as “oblivious” to the events in Gaza –  and to wrongly portray those events in a manner that maligns Israel for defending herself.  

The Daily News’ shameful distorted headlines falsely call Hamas gunmen and bomb-planters mere “protesters” – and fail to even mention the multiple warnings Israel issued prior to engaging them.  Israel’s self-defense is highly restrained; the Israel Defense Forces attempts to avoid injuries and deaths of civilians placed by Hamas as human shields; and only shoots when there is no other option.  This is not a “slaughter.”  Every death in Gaza is solely the fault of Hamas.  As explained by former commander of British forces in Afghanistan Richard Kemp, who has recently spent time on the Gaza border observing Hamas-orchestrated violence:  “The true and malevolent purpose of Hamas’s plan is to incite violence in such a way that the IDF has no choice but to respond with lethal force, killing Gaza civilians.”  (“Expected Upsurge in Gaza Violence,” by Richard Kemp, Gatestone Institute, May 13, 2018.)  

Everyone at the U.S. Embassy opening was very well aware of the Hamas gunmen and Hamas-allied mobs along Israel’s border with Gaza, who were ignoring Israel’s warnings, burning tires to hide their shooting attacks, planting bombs along Israel’s border, hurling and sending kites with Molotov cocktails to burn Israel’s fields, and doing everything possible to carry out their stated intention to destroy Israel and to murder and “eat the livers” of innocent Jews.  “Eat the livers!”  (See “The World Goes for Israel’s Throat,” by Giulio Meotti, Israel Nat’l News, Apr. 3, 2018; “Fanning the Flames of Fire in Israel,” by Stephen M. Flatow, Algemeiner, May 10, 2018.)

Indeed, in his speech, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged the brave Israeli soldiers who were defending Israel’s border, saying:

“We are here in Jerusalem, protected by the brave soldiers of the army of Israel, led by our Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, and our brave soldiers, our brave soldiers are protecting the borders of Israel as we speak today. We salute them all, and the members of our security forces, the Shin Bet and the Mossad, whose head is with us today. We salute you all, all of you.”  (“Full Text of Netanyahu’s Speech at the Opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem,” Times of Israel, May 14, 2018.)

Jared Kushner also stated at the embassy opening ceremony that Hamas’ provocations at the border “today in Gaza are part of the problem and not part of the solution.” 

As Italian journalist Giulio Meotti noted: “If the 30,000 Palestinians were allowed to cross those borders, instead of dead terrorists, we would have had dead Israelis. Would the world be more satisfied?”  

Would the Daily News be more satisfied if the Hamas mobs had succeeded?

Where is the New York Daily News’ condemnation of the Hamas and Hamas-related attacks at Israel’s border?

Unfortunately, throughout history, enemies have attempted to annihilate the Jewish people.  Dor v’Dor – in every generation.  

Is the Daily News saying that there should have been no ceremony, or that Ivanka must wear a black shroud?  Should all the theatres and entertainment venues in Israel have been closed. Nonsense. We must show the Hamas Arab terrorists that they will not affect life as usual in Israel. Would the Daily News have Ivanka Trump – and the rest of the Jewish people and all of our friends – refrain forever from cracking a smile at joyous occasions such as the embassy opening – in order to honor enemies who deliberately chose our happiest moments to engage in their murderous violence?  

Shame on the New York Daily News. And we urge all to write to the NY Daily News and bitterly complain.