In a distressing turn of events, false claims that a Los Angeles synagogue was auctioning off Palestinian land sparked violent protests outside the Jewish house of worship on Sunday. The false allegations were pushed by Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz, who covers social media for the publication.

Lorenz, known for her complaints about online harassment, reposted multiple comments on X (formerly Twitter) that defended the synagogue protesters and promoted the false claims. She also criticized the media, including her former employer, the New York Times, for not giving the allegations attention. However, it has been revealed that the synagogue, Adas Torah, was hosting an industry expo on real estate investing in Israel - not selling Palestinian land.

The origins of these false claims can be traced back to radical anti-Israel groups such as Code Pink and the Palestinian Youth Movement, as indicated by social media posts. These groups called for protesters to stand against "settler expansion" at the real estate event and spread misinformation about the sale of Palestinian land.

During the protests, participants chanted for an "intifada" and called for the eradication of Israel "from the river to the sea." Violent scuffles ensued, furthering the dangerous anti-Semitic atmosphere.

Lorenz retweeted posts that propagated the false narrative, one of which questioned the choice of a place of worship hosting a sale of Palestinian land. The protestors were also defended by claiming that some of them were Jewish, therefore denying any antisemitic motivations.

The journalist also shared a complaint from a person named Assaf Rad, who accused major Western media outlets of framing the incident as an attack on a synagogue without acknowledging that the synagogue was hosting an event related to the sale of "illegally occupied Palestinian land." Rad has a history of making inflammatory statements against Israel, including accusations of "genocide" and "apartheid."

Lorenz's social media activity raises concerns about the Post's reputation and potential anti-Israel bias in its reporting. Last week, it was reported that multiple reporters on the Post's foreign desk had previously worked for Al Jazeera, a news outlet with alleged ties to Hamas propaganda. The CEO of the Post, Will Lewis, has reportedly clashed with the paper's executive editor, Sally Buzbee, over the perceived anti-Israel bias in the coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.

The violent protest, which targeted a Jewish house of worship, has been widely condemned as anti-Semitic, with President Joe Biden describing it as "dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic, and un-American." One individual was even arrested for carrying a spiked flag during the protest.

Noah Pollak, a pro-Israel activist who was present at Adas Torah for the real estate expo, dismissed the false claims, stating that there was no "Palestinian land" for sale. He criticized Lorenz for promoting the lie without conducting any actual reporting.

At the time of writing, neither Lorenz nor a spokeswoman for the Washington Post has responded to requests for comment.

This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of responsible reporting and the potential repercussions of spreading false information, particularly when it fuels anti-Semitic sentiments and leads to acts of violence.