Tim Korso
SputnikThu, 06 Aug 2020 12:03 UTC
© REUTERS / Bader Helal
The tragic incident, which according to the first estimates was caused by an explosion of ammonium nitrate stored in the port, reportedly claimed the lives of over 130 people and injured thousands more. Countries around the world have since rushed to offer aid to Lebanon, with Israel being no exception.
Former Knesset member and founder of the right-wing libertarian party Zehut, Moshe Feiglin, sparked a major controversy
in a Facebook post by calling the
4 August explosion in Beirut a "gift" from "God" to the Israeli people purportedly delivered ahead of Tu B'Av - a Jewish holiday similar to Valentine's Day."Today is Tu B'Av, a day of joy, and a true and huge thank you to G-d and all the geniuses and heroes really who organised for us this wonderful celebration in honour of the day of love [...] we got a fantastic fireworks show from Beirut's port", the former lawmaker said.
Feiglin went on to question the preliminary version of the cause of the deadly blast, suggesting that it was not fertiliser, but rather "200,000 missiles" produced with the sole purpose of striking Israel, that exploded on that day in the city port. He justified his allegation by
stating the blast was similar to one produced by a minor nuclear charge and claiming that he has witnessed the explosion of 2.5 tonnes of TNT and it was purportedly nowhere close to the explosion seen in the Lebanese capital.
"You don't really believe that this was some messy fuel warehouse, yeah? Do you understand that this hell was supposed to fall on us like a rain of missiles?!", Feiglin said in the post.
In a radio interview recorded later, the lawmaker expressed hope that the deadly explosion
was the result of an Israeli attack. Responding to the public outrage to his statement,
he argued that the country "should be proud" of such an act and that its people "are all allowed to rejoice that it exploded in the port of Beirut".
Deadly ExplosionThe blast at the port of Beirut, located close to the city's densely populated centre, took place on 4 August reportedly leaving over 130 people dead and thousands injured. The explosion not only levelled the entire port, but also ripped through nearby city districts
leaving up to 300,000 residents homeless.
The authorities' preliminary theory suggests that a 2.7-tonne shipment of fertiliser, stored in the port since 2014, caught fire and exploded. The origin of the initial fire still remains to be determined by the investigation, which the president urged to conduct as soon as possible.
Theories that the blast could have been caused by an Israeli air strike on an alleged Hezbollah arms depot in the port
were dismissed by both the group and Tel Aviv in the first hours following the incident.
Comment: Meanwhile Pentagon Chief Mark Esper has claimed the blast is likely an accident, but Trump doubled down saying that it was possibly an attack:
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the mammoth explosion that rocked Beirut was likely an accident, pouring cold water on a theory floated by the president, who claimed the Pentagon assessed that a "bomb" had set off the blast.
"[We're] still getting information on what happened," Esper told the Aspen Security Conference on Wednesday, but added that "most believe it was an accident as reported, and beyond that I have nothing further to report on that. It's obviously a tragedy."
Hours after the massive explosion tore through a port in the Lebanese capital on Tuesday, killing at least 135 people and wounding more than 4,000, US President Donald Trump told reporters that he had met with "some of our great generals," saying they felt the blast was "an attack, it was a bomb of some kind."
© Reuters / Aziz TaherPeople inspect the damage near the site of Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area, Lebanon, August 5, 2020
Trump declined to elaborate on that assessment, and cited no evidence, but on Wednesday doubled down on his doubts.
"How can you say accident? Somebody left some terrible explosive type devices and things around... perhaps it was that. Perhaps it was an attack."
"I don't think anybody can say right now. We're looking into it very strongly. Right now, you have some people think it was an attack and some people that think it wasn't. In any event, it was a terrible event," Trump told a press conference.
Despite widespread speculation and rumors about a potential attack, which were only fueled by the president's remarks, Lebanese authorities have brushed aside any suggestion of foul play and maintain the blast was accidental, resulting from the improper storage of some 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate at a port warehouse. A probe into the exact cause of the blast is ongoing, and authorities have placed a series of port officials under house arrest as they look into those responsible for the vast store of dangerous chemicals.
Comment: Meanwhile Pentagon Chief Mark Esper has claimed the blast is likely an accident, but Trump doubled down saying that it was possibly an attack: