“The original post was very thoughtless and a slap in the face to the American people, our service men and women, as well as to Israel. Unbelievable!” one user wrote.
The backlash prompted the department to delete the post from at least one platform and edit it on others. By Monday, the Sheriff’s Office issued a formal apology.
In a follow-up statement, the department called the initial post “offensive and inappropriate,” adding, “We do not comment on foreign policy or military matters. The views expressed in the post do not reflect those of Sheriff Robert G. Luna or the Department as a whole.”
Officials also said they have launched an internal review to determine how the message was approved and posted in the first place. “We fully recognize that the words and messages we share carry weight,” the department emphasized.
Adding further complexity to the situation, Los Angeles is home to the largest population of Iranian-Americans in the country. According to the Migration Policy Institute, over half of all Iranian immigrants live in California, and more than one-third reside in the Los Angeles area.
The department’s response appears aimed at calming both patriotic critics and members of the Iranian diaspora who may have had mixed reactions to the strike. But for many, the damage was already done — and the sheriff’s office now finds itself managing a communications crisis of its own.
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