In a social media exchange on X (formerly Twitter), South African musician @TheKiffness and pro-Palestinian account @Africa4Pal engaged in a heated debate over the events of October 7, 2023, with the former correcting his rival on inaccuracies. The exchange which occurred on the one-year anniversary of the horrific Hamas atrocities.
Scott, a South African musician, producer, and internet personality, has recently become a household name among millions around the world when he created a remix of former President Donald Trump's comment during a televised debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. Scott, known for his "cast remixes," took Trump's own words, in which he accused immigrants in Springfield, Ohio of eating the pets of local residents. The song "Eating the Cats" became viral overnight.
The spat began when @Africa4Pal showed tweets posted by Kiffness in which he made sure to show the Israeli version of events, including one replying to South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, in which the artist said the following: "Today marks one year since Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. They murdered over 1180 Israelis and kidnapped 251 people. If you're going to side with Palestine, that is your prerogative, but at least get the facts straight. You are an embarrassment to South Africans who love the truth. Your are not my president."
I believe:
1. Israel's right to exist & to defend itself.
2. Hamas using civilian infrastructure like schools & hospitals as military bases is shameful and cowardly.
3. Civilian death in war is tragic, no matter the nationality of the person.— The Kiffness (@TheKiffness) October 7, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BrCvZmSnKA
After @TheKiffness was attacked as being pro-Israel and "casually overlooking the nuance of the region's troubles" and saying that "Atrocity blame can be equally allocated," he shot back, writing: "We're not talking about nuances here, we're talking about what happened on October 7, 2023." He went on to and framed the discussion by presenting a binary choice regarding the events of October 7, asking whether it marked "the start of an onslaught against the Palestinian people" or "the day that Hamas launched an attack on Israel."
The exchange quickly devolved into accusations of bullying and ad hominem attacks, with @TheKiffness claiming to be the target of personal attacks rather than substantive engagement with his arguments. The introduction of a third user, Yair Katz (@YairKatz), further intensified the debate by praising @TheKiffness for "standing up for the truth" and accusing @Africa4Pal of supporting Hamas and Hezbollah.
In another response to an accusation of being biased in favor of Israel, @theKiffness wrote, "I believe: 1. Israel's right to exist & to defend itself. 2. Hamas using civilian infrastructure like schools & hospitals as military bases is shameful and cowardly. 3. Civilian death in war is tragic, no matter the nationality of the person."
