Kardashian tweets Middle East, rethinks

Kim Kardashian supporting the troops at the Marine Corps Ball (Courtesy Instagram)

You know something’s going on when socialite and reality TV star Kim Kardashian starts tweeting about prayers for Israelis and Palestinians. It started Friday, when Kardashian sent out a supportive Israel tweet.

“Praying for everyone in Israel,” she tweeted to her nearly 17 million followers.

That didn’t sit so well with all of her fans.

“I have lost my respect towards Kim Kardashian after she tweeted Pray for Israel,” tweeted Berita Twiiterr.

That was just one of many, including a couple of veiled death threats.

Shortly thereafter, Kardashian added another tweet, this time in support of the Palestinians: “praying for everyone in Palestine and across the world!”

Both tweets were soon deleted from her account — the wonders of modern technology! — and she returned to her usual roster of material, such as her workouts and upcoming outfits.

But later on Friday, she responded to the Twitter talk on her blog, with a post entitled: “A Message to You Guys.”

“I want to own up to and explain that earlier today I sent out two tweets about saying prayers for the people in Palestine and Israel and after hearing from my followers, I decided to take down the tweets because I realized that some people were offended and hurt by what I said, and for that I apologize,” she wrote. “I should have pointed out my intentions behind these tweets when I posted them. The fact is that regardless of religion and political beliefs, there are countless innocent people involved who didnt choose this, and I pray for all of them and also for a resolution. I also pray for all the other people around the world who are caught in similar crossfires.”

That brought about a Twitter response from followers as well.

“If Kim Kardashian is proud to rep Middle Eastern women…why did she delete tweet about Praying for Palestinians? #Gaza,” tweeted another former fan, Ahmed Shihab-Eldin.

Kardashian was defended by hip-hop magnate Russell Simmons, a.k.a. UncleRUSH, who tweeted, “Kim Kardashian had no need to apologize. her compassion for all of of humanity is appreciated…”

Music mogul Simmons spent time in Israel last June promoting interfaith dialogue, meeting with the grand mufti of Jerusalem, Muhammad Ahmed Hussein, and receiving a blessing from the rabbi of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinowitz.

Finally, Kardashian, who was married last year to NBA player Kris Humprhies for a total of 72 days and tends to offer a play-by-play of her life on Twitter and her blog, has become a hashtag in her own right.

As another follower, The 47th, tweeted, “The IDF announced the war on Twitter, warned Gazans thru SMS & troops showed us action on Instagram. Israel is the Kim Kardashian of nations.”