Harvard professor apologizes after suggesting Hamas attack on Israel was attempt to hide Netanyahu corruption

X users hit back at Harvard professor emeritus Laurence Tribe for tweeting out (and then deleting) a conspiracy theory that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pursuing war against Hamas militants to distract from his own corruption in government. Tribe has now expressed regret for the “ill-informed” statement. 

Following Netanyahu’s Saturday statement declaring that Israel is “at war” after the deadly Hamas attack on his country resulting in the death of more than 100 Israelis, the progressive legal scholar posted that the prime minister was “wagging the dog of war” to keep the focus off his own authoritarian behavior.

Multiple prominent X users refused to entertain the theory, and blasted Tribe as an “idiot” who needs to “go commit” himself somewhere. Even liberal firebrand Keith Olbermann had criticism for Tribe’s post, calling it “moronic and indefensible.” 

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Professor of Constitutional Law Emeritus at Harvard University Laurence Tribe responded to news of the Hamas attack on Israel Saturday by asking if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was pushing for war to hide his own corruption. (ullstein bild / Contributor)

The professor emeritus’ post linked to Washington Post’s coverage of the Saturday tragedy in Israel, which occurred when Hamas militants launched thousands of rockets into Israel, killing Israeli citizens on their own streets.

The piece included Netanyahu’s acknowledgment that his nation was at war following the attack. The prime minister made the statement in an X post, stating, “Since this morning, the State of Israel has been at war. Our first objective is to clear out the hostile forces that infiltrated our territory and restore the security and quiet to the communities that have been attacked.”

The prime minister added, “The second objective, at the same time, is to exact an immense price from the enemy, within the Gaza Strip as well. The third objective is to reinforce other fronts so that nobody should mistakenly join this war.”

Tribe theorized that Netanyahu’s motivations for war weren’t only motivated by the defense of his county and innocent civilians. He asked, “Is Netanyahu wagging the dog of war to take attention away from his own war on the independent judiciary? Can anyone put that past him?”

Laurence Tribe posted and quickly deleted the X post on Saturday following the Hamas attack on Israel. (Screenshot/Laurence Tribe X)

Fox News Digital reached out to Tribe for comment, and he responded with this explanation: “I sent the tweet in response to Netanyahu’s reported comments before I saw the news of what Hamas had actually done, at which point I immediately deleted the tweet as a clearly premature, ill-informed and inappropriate response to incomplete information.”

He added, “I obviously condemn Hamas’s terrorist attacks and unthinkable atrocities against the Israeli people, including the murder and abduction of civilians, in the strongest possible terms and fully support Israel’s right of self-defense, notwithstanding my long-standing condemnation of the Israeli occupation of Gaza and its activities in the West Bank.” 

X users shredded Tribe’s original post. 

Conservative commentator Dave Rubin commented, “You are a f—— idiot.”

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GOP comms person Matt Whitlock asked Tribe, “How is this tweet still up.”

Actor and conservative Matthew Marsden replied, “What an evil person you are.”

Reporter Julie Kelly remarked on Tribe’s post, stating, “You need to go commit yourself somewhere.”

Seattle radio host Jason Rantz blasted the legal scholar, stating, “Thanks for reminding people that you’re the absolute worst person.”

Defense attorney and conservative commentator Marina Medvin wrote, “You’re a disgusting terrorist a–kisser.”

Author Ian Bremmer asked Tribe, “Are you kidding me? have you seen what’s happening on the ground? worst take I’ve seen this morning. and the bar is high.”

And Olbermann condemned Tribe’s post, stating, “Well this is a moronic and indefensible POV [Point of view].”

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Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.