NBA star Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors is under attack from the extreme left for the twin cardinal sins of visiting Israel and visiting with law enforcement. Actually, a triple sin since the enforcement is on an international border.
Green and fellow players from the champion Golden State Warriors declined to visit Trump’s White House, and Green, in particular, stood out for his decision, giving an interview to CNN on the subject. It was a stance that earned him much praise as a “symbol” of the “resistance.”
But that tune changed when Green had the audacity to visit key United States ally Israel and, moreover, spend time with Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) representatives and counter-terrorism units.
Green was in Israel on a trip organized by Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, and spent time with the units, even posting photos and videos of himself with some of the weaponry.
Draymond Green(@Money23Green) was a guest today of the Israeli SWAT Dep. pic.twitter.com/ze9Ubztv22
— Or Shkedy (@Orshkedy) July 4, 2018
Wait, guns? Make that FOUR cardinal sins.
The group described his visit in a press release on their site, saying that during the four-day trip, “Green visited the base of an IDF counter-terrorism unit, the Yamam. One of four special units of the Israel Border Police, this elite unit conducts hostage-rescue operations and raids against terror targets in civilian areas. The Yamam also performs SWAT operations and undercover police work.”
In an article for Slate, liberal columnist Dave Zirin outlined the outrage.
Zirin started by referring back to Green’s interview with CNN, quoting his objection:
It’s not about not seeing Donald Trump or anything else that goes with it, but more so about what we stand for. In order to effect change, you have to stand for something.
Then the turn.
He is absolutely correct. But it makes one wonder what he was standing for when he visited another president last week: President Reuven Rivlin of Israel. In a trip organized by Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, Green presented Rivlin with a Warriors jersey. As Rivlin said, “It’s not every day I meet an All-Star.” Green also visited the “Border Police’s counterterrorism unit” and shot some baskets with the unit on a court donated by the Michigan chapter of Friends of the IDF. Then Draymond Green posed as if he were a sniper, smiling for the camera, lying prone, flat on his stomach, holding a rifle. There is also footage of Green taking target practice with the police.
Shooting hoops? The horror!
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin also tweeted a photo of them together.
Tremendous pleasure today to welcome Draymond @Money23Green of the Golden State @Warriors. It’s not everyday you get to meet an #Allstar! I hope this will be only your first visit to Israel, come back and visit us soon. pic.twitter.com/kaDwq5i4C8
— Reuven Rivlin (@PresidentRuvi) July 4, 2018
Green presented Rivlin with a Golden State Warriors jersey during the visit. “It’s not every day that I meet an all-star,” Rivlin remarked.
That sent chills down Zirin’s presumed spine, apparently.
Naturally, Zirin’s objection is based on the lies he propagates about Israel, as is the function of his profession (such as it is).
It is, frankly, shocking to see Draymond Green smiling and shooting guns in their company. These counterterrorism border police units are part of a military that shot and killed more than 60 Palestinians who were protesting at the border in May, less than two months ago.
Of course, that is not what happened at all, as we’ve outlined at PJ Media before.
Labeling a visit with legitimate counter-terror units of a close U.S. ally as “propaganda” is bad enough; it’s especially galling when that charge comes from someone who spreads Hamas propaganda like it’s his job. Which, again, it basically is.
The Jerusalem Post notes that “activist” and fraud Shaun King went to Twitter to bash Green over the visit, saying, “you got played.”
Dear Draymond Green (@Money23Green),
You got played.
Flashing a toothy grin w/ a sniper rifle in Israel on a trip sponsored by Friends of the IDF is so horribly offensive.
They've recently slaughtered 100s of unarmed Palestinians w/ those rifles.https://t.co/v1k0aYXoNS
— Shaun King (@shaunking) July 11, 2018
Naturally, he linked back to Slate and Zirin.
The only comment obtained for the article was from Yousef Munayyer, a pro-Palestine activist.
“Draymond Green is the latest celebrity to be posterized by Israeli apartheid,” began his hysterical quote. “It was a sad sight to see him collaborating with an effort aimed at normalizing Palestinian human-rights denial and selling it to his fans around the world.”
“With great celebrity comes great responsibility,” he ridiculously added. “And unfortunately Draymond allowed his celebrity to be used in ways unbecoming of a champion of freedom, justice, and equality.”
Zirin writes on the topic of sports from a liberal perspective for Slate, which is a job it’s hard to believe exists. And now you see why.
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