Always hyperactive, the Twitterverse went into overdrive with the news of Osama bin Laden’s death — and Jewish celebs and notables were among the most active broadcasters.

Not surprisingly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, via the Israeli Consulate’s feed, called it “a victory for justice, freedom and common values of all democracies.”

Director Albert Brooks, characteristically, made great material of the news: “Bin Laden to St. Peter: ‘What do you mean they’re no longer virgins?’”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Likewise, actor Seth Green cracked wise.

“Why burial at sea?” asked one of his followers.

“Osama can’t turn into a jet,” the star responded.

The schtick from L.A. comedian Elon Gold: “Hey Osama, pick up your phone! I didn’t mean what I said and I’m sorry! Quit being a baby and call me back!“

Supermodel Bar Refaeli — Leonardo DiCaprio’s Israeli girlfriend — shared an “LOL” at a follower’s post that “Air China hasn’t heard the news about Bin Laden…they confiscated my water before I got on the plane.”

Still, some comments were more reflective. Natalie Portman simply wrote: “Osama Bin Laden is dead. Wow. Speechless.”

Comments by Jews also became some of the day’s most retweeted remarks. The headline on Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s Huffington Post column today — “Hate Osama, But Do Not Rejoice in His Death” — rebounded across the Twitterverse, as did Joe Lieberman’s dig that Pakistan “must explain how Osama ended up in the compound and why and for how long.”

Lieberman’s comment that “a lone-wolf revenge attack is possible,” and that Americans should be “suspicious of family and friends,” elicited laughs from some Tweeters: “Easy for him. He doesn’t even have friends!” wrote JMRooker.

The most twisted Tweets of the day, however, came from one GhostAHitler to an obviously new Twitterer, GhostOsama: “Happy 2nd Day of Death!”

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount