Claim: Angelina Jolie said, “Arabs and Muslims are not terrorists. The world should unite against Israel.”
Fact: Angelina Jolie did not say this. The quote falsely attributed to her has circulated online for many years.
On 18 February 2024, Threads user @faithfullifestyle1 posted an image (archive) which attributed the following quote to Angelina Jolie, “Arabs and Mulims are not terrorists. The world should unite against Israel.”
Angelina Jolie is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian.
Fact or Fiction?
Angelina Jolie has not made an official public statement urging the world to unite against Israel Jolie’s actual public statements reflect a concern for civilian casualties and a condemnation of terrorist attacks.
Using Google search, Soch Fact Check found multiple instances of the quote being shared online in the past. The earliest relevant post we could find is an article (archive) published on 23 August 2006, on IkhwanWeb.com, self-advertised as the “Muslim Brotherhood’s official English website.”
When evaluating the credibility of a source, especially in the context of a quote attributed to a public figure like Angelina Jolie, it’s important to consider the source’s history, bias, and reputation. IkhwanWeb.com, as the official English website of the Muslim Brotherhood, may carry inherent biases due to its political nature. The site represents the views of the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been involved in political conflicts and has been designated as a terrorist organisation by some countries.
Therefore, this statement made by this website cannot be taken at face value, given that neither Jolie’s social media pages, public representatives, credible news organisations make any mention of the celebrity saying something of this sort.
Since then, the quote has resurfaced multiple times, often in the form of quote memes shared on social media platforms. For example, a similar image was tweeted (archive) in 2015
The quote was reported as being fake by BBC Verify journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh in November 2023, who said, “a fake quote being attributed to her. She’s never said that.” Despite this, the quote has continued to be shared online, misleading many into believing it was a genuine statement by Jolie
In contrast to the fabricated quote, Jolie’s actual statements have shown a different stance. Following the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. In a 28 October 2023 Instagram post Jolie expressed her distress over the situation and referred to the violence as a “terrorist attack” and “an act of terror.”
She also said that Hamas’ attack “cannot justify the innocent lives lost in bombing a civilian population in Gaza,” but at no point did she call for unity against Israel or label Arabs and Muslims as non-terrorists in the context of the conflict.
Virality
The image received thousands of views, over 2,350 likes, and 75 replies on Threads (archive). It was shared on other social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.
The same image was also published on Facebook and Instagram here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: There is no credible evidence that Angelina Jolie ever made such a statement. Her actual public statements have shown support for Israel. The misattributed quote has been used out of context and does not reflect Jolie’s public stance on the matter.
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