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Mark Ruffalo called 'spineless', 'coward' as he apologized after suggesting Israel committed genocide

It's not clear which tweet the actor was apologizing for, but Ruffalo has posted several times in recent weeks about the conflict to his more than 7.5 million followers

Mark Ruffalo was labeled "spineless" and a "coward" by his longtime fans after he issued a late-night apology for his tweets that suggested Israel was committing "genocide" in its ongoing conflict with Hamas.

“I have reflected & wanted to apologize for posts during the recent Israel/Hamas fighting that suggested Israel is committing ‘genocide,'" he wrote on Twitter Monday night. “It’s not accurate, it’s inflammatory, disrespectful & is being used to justify antisemitism here & abroad. Now is the time to avoid hyperbole," he added.

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It's not clear which tweet the actor was apologizing for, but Ruffalo has posted several times in recent weeks about the conflict to his more than 7.5 million followers on Twitter. In fact, he has discussed the subject quite a few times in the past. The 53-year-old Hollywood actor described the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a “kind of apartheid” during an interview with NBC host Mehdi Hassan in 2020.

“My connection to Palestine came through Palestinians and hearing their stories and then watching this asymmetrical warfare being enacted upon them. That kind of inequality, that kind of oppression, that kind of apartheid," he said at the time. “There’s no reason why an ally of American should not be held to same the standard as we would hold any other nation in the world,” he added. “I was called an antisemite about it, for doing that - which was really tough to hear."

Of late, he appeared to agree with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders when he shared his tweet about "understanding the war." “Bernie points out the depth of the problem and the beginning and end of the problem here. We need full equality and human rights for the Palestinian people to stop the rise of extremism on both sides. #PalestiniansLivesMatter," he commented. Meanwhile, Ruffalo has also voiced concerns about the eviction of Arab residents from Sheikh Jarrah, one of the flashpoints that led to the latest escalation.

That said, Ruffalo also criticized the hashtag #HitlerWasRight after it began trending on Twitter. At the time, he called on the platform to "stop antisemitism and anti-Muslim propaganda on this platform today”.

Nonetheless, Ruffalo's apology was met with major backlash after being shared Tuesday morning, with many accusing him of being "spineless" for watering down his criticism of Israel. "That state department—I mean, marvel bag got threatened, huh? how pathetic & spineless of you," one fan tweeted.

"What he reflected on were his future opportunities in Hollywood and the relationships he had with people in his business and social circles," another added.

"No, you were right the first time — see this heat so of the attacks on Gaza, and it’s such a shame that you’ve chosen to conflate criticism of the state of Israel’s atrocities with anti-Semitism. It isn’t and should never be used to justify racism. You are part of the problem," a third chimed in.

"Booooo have a spine have some integrity. You stand up for the oppressed when it’s fashionable, but then you walk back your statements when it upsets polite society. That’s not using your voice to aid- that’s clout chasing man," another alleged.