Last week O’Donnell found herself in the media spotlight when news outlets reported that the actress/comedienne’s “artwork” was anti-Israel, featuring an image of an injured child, supposedly in Gaza, whereas it actually occurred in Syria. Sold on her website and titled “Israel Begins Bombing Gaza,” the acrylic prints depict an adult male carrying an injured female child. The same image is used in a second piece of “artwork” that O’Donnell calls “Stop and Think.”
But as I reported:
… the photo O’Donnell uses did not take place in Gaza, but is actually a Getty Images picture of “an emergency response volunteer” carrying a child wounded during a Syrian government attack on its own people in northern Syria.
Hours after my article appeared and less than 24 hours after the first reports of O’Donnell attacking the Jewish State, the controversial “artwork” was removed from her website as if it had never existed.
Since the story broke, O’Donnell appears to be living on Twitter – often defending her prints and reiterating that she is “not anti Israel” but “I am anti war.”
Comedienne and actress Roseanne Barr took O’Donnell to task, tweeting:
“@Rosie I’m against war2, 4 th record, bt facts hve proven tht Israel’s armed forces hve done more2 avoid civilian casualties thn any others.”
“@Rosie we see it as self defense, after thousands of rockets fired at Israeli civilians-I know U know more than most non Jewish ppl do, tho!”
With criticism raining down from Barr and others, O’Donnell posts a selfie on Twitter that reveals a mezuzah (a Jewish prayer scroll in a small case) affixed to the doorpost of her front entrance.
Twitter follower @csbgem responded:
“@rosie 🙂 happy to see this. But confused y so negative on Israel state.”
I am also confused. You tweeted to me “I stand in my truth.” But isn’t removing your “artwork” running away from whatever you’re standing in?
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Paul Miller is a contributor to the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity. He serves as principal of Pauliegroup LLC, a Chicago-based new media and political consulting firm.
@Pauliespoint – i stand in my truth –
— Rosie (@Rosie) December 12, 2014