Did isreal say 9/11 was one of the best things to ever happen to them
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
Claims that “Israel” or prominent Israeli leaders said the September 11, 2001 attacks were “one of the best things to ever happen to them” have circulated for years; the best-documented origin involves a 2001 interview reporting Benjamin Netanyahu as saying Israel “benefitted” from 9/11, which was reported in Ma’ariv and cited in later press summaries [1]. Contemporary, authoritative sources in the supplied set do not show the Israeli government officially endorsing that language, and modern coverage of U.S.–Israel aid and strategic ties focuses on long-term support and post‑2001 cooperation rather than celebratory rhetoric [2] [3].
1. What the record in these sources actually shows
The clearest linkage in the supplied material is a 2008 Foreign Policy item that cites an Israeli newspaper, Ma’ariv, reporting that Benjamin Netanyahu told an audience at Bar Ilan University that the September 11 attacks had been “beneficial” for Israel — a remark much quoted and debated in subsequent years [1]. The sources you provided do not include a contemporary transcript, full context, or a government press release endorsing an idea that 9/11 was “one of the best things to ever happen” to Israel; what is documented is reporting of a remark attributed to a political leader and later repetition by other outlets [1].
2. How that quote has been used and misused
A short, incendiary paraphrase — for example, “Israel said 9/11 was one of the best things to ever happen to them” — compresses complex reporting into a conspiratorial claim. The supplied material shows an example where one politician’s alleged comment was reported and later cited; it does not substantiate a systematic, official Israeli position celebrating 9/11 [1]. The difference between an attributed remark in a newspaper and an institutional statement matters for accuracy; many viral claims collapse that distinction.
3. Broader context on U.S.–Israel relations after 9/11
Post‑9/11 ties between the U.S. and Israel deepened around counterterrorism cooperation and military assistance. Congressional and policy analyses document decades of U.S. aid to Israel — CRS reporting notes roughly $298 billion in U.S. aid obligated to Israel from 1946–2024 — framing the relationship as long‑standing rather than a short‑term windfall from a single event [2]. The Council on Foreign Relations also frames U.S. aid and strategic ties in long‑term terms, noting scrutiny over assistance during later conflicts [3].
4. Why the claim fuels conspiracy thinking
The combination of an attributed remark, strong emotions around 9/11, and pre‑existing anxieties about U.S. foreign aid creates fertile ground for conspiratorial narratives. The supplied sources show reporting of a provocative line [1] and separate, sober analyses of long‑running U.S. aid patterns [2] [3]. When a single quoted phrase is detached from context and presented as a consensus view of a country, it becomes a tool for misinformation.
5. What these sources do not say (and the limits of available reporting)
Available sources in your list do not include: a verified, verbatim transcript from Netanyahu or any other senior Israeli official saying the exact phrase “one of the best things to ever happen to them”; an official Israeli government statement celebrating 9/11; or comprehensive contemporary media analysis disproving every version of the claim. Therefore, assertions beyond the Ma’ariv‑reported line are not supported by the supplied documents [1].
6. Competing perspectives and why they matter
Journalistic accounts and policy analyses present competing emphases: human‑interest or sensational reportage of a remark [1] versus institutional, empirical treatments of aid, strategy and humanitarian consequences [2] [3]. Critics of Israel or of U.S. policy sometimes cite the alleged remark as evidence of malign motives; defenders point to decades of U.S.–Israel cooperation and to humanitarian complexities in later conflicts to argue the relationship is multifaceted and not reducible to a single statement [2] [3].
7. Bottom line for readers
A controversial quote attributed to Benjamin Netanyahu was reported and has fueled persistent claims that “Israel” celebrated 9/11 [1]. The supplied documents show no official Israeli government endorsement of celebratory language, and the broader documentary record in these sources emphasizes long‑term U.S.–Israel ties and aid rather than a narrative that a single attack was a net benefit [2] [3]. Readers should treat viral paraphrases that collapse an attributed newspaper report into a national claim as unreliable without corroborating official transcripts or multiple primary sources.