US Politics
Fox Sports tweet about Israel’s ‘elimination’ from World Baseball Classic goes predictability off the rails
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Read more
A Fox Sports tweet announcing the Israeli men’s national team’s exit from the World Baseball Classic after a defeat to the Dominican Republic on Monday has been picked up as an unlikely meme among trolls.
The post in question followed the same innocuous format the network had used throughout the tournament, reporting the latest developments in a plain, factual style above a graphic bearing the flag of the country concerned.
“Israel has been eliminated from WBC title contention after their loss to the Dominican Republic,” the tweet in question read from the Fox Sports: MLB account after the nation’s 10-1 defeat to the Caribbean side.
But it was its accompanying image – which declared “ISRAEL ELIMINATED” over the Israeli flag – that sent X commentators into overdrive.
open image in gallery
“Perhaps not an optimal graphic,” New York Times journalist Glenn Thrush joked, implicitly invoking the current mayhem in the Middle East set in motion by the joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran.
“Read the room, Fox Sports. Jeesh,” said Newsmax anchor Andrew Craft, accusing the networking of insensitivity to the present moment.
Several users felt that right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson would enjoy the tweet in reference to the former Fox News anchor’s regular attacks on Israel, which has seen him routinely accused of antisemitism.
Carlson last month claimed to have been “detained” at an Israeli airport after arriving to interview U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, whom he has accused of “Christian Zionism,” and has lashed out at the Trump administration over the strikes on Tehran, insisting the U.S. has been led into “Israel’s war.”
open image in gallery
The Independent has reached out to Fox Sports and the Israel Association of Baseball for comment.
The current tournament is the sixth iteration of the WBC, which was first held in 2006 and has since been staged in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2023, with the U.S. and Dominican teams winning it once each and Japan taking home the trophy on three occasions.
The Israeli team, which is largely composed of Jewish American players, has taken part in the 20-team tournament twice before, finishing sixth in the 2017 instalment.
It got off to a bad start this time around with an 11-3 loss to Venezuela in Miami, Florida, on Saturday, before seeing off Nicaragua 5-0 on Sunday.
It cannot now progress further following its defeat to the Dominicans, but will play one final match against the Netherlands on Tuesday.
