"Don’t start a war you won’t win"... Israeli blogger sparks controversy as AI joins the debate
Maya sparks significant reaction after posting: "We are in the shelters"
Maya, in a follow-up post to quell harsh responses: "We haven’t lost this war... Tehran is burning now."
An Israeli blogger named Maya has become a trending topic on social media in recent hours after she posted a message saying, “We are in the shelters”, following Iran’s missile strikes on Tel Aviv.
The post, published on her personal account on the X platform (formerly Twitter), surpassed 18 million views, placing her at the center of public and media attention and making her the focus of global platforms in record time.
A Post from Inside the Shelters of FearIn her latest post, Maya documented moments of fear and total disruption to normal life—especially during the late-night hours—when sirens echoed and residents rushed to bomb shelters.
The post sparked wide interaction, prompting many users to repost her older content, most notably a statement she made in May 2025 during rising regional tensions, which stirred major controversy:
"Don’t start a war you won’t win. And if you do, don’t cry afterward... It’s that simple."
Reactions and CriticismMaya’s post did not go unnoticed. It triggered a wave of criticism, especially from Arab and international users, who accused her of contradicting herself.
One highly circulated comment read:"I’m confused — why do Israelis play the victim when they were the ones who started this conflict?"
Another user commented sarcastically:"Is Tel Aviv unsafe? Imagine all borders were shut and Israelis were forced to walk north, carrying their children and belongings, under sniper fire and 2,000-pound bombs dropping from above — for 77 straight years. Then you might understand."
Maya Responds AgainFacing the wave of criticism, Maya posted a follow-up message in an attempt to clarify her stance and ease the backlash:
"I see many quoting my tweet, so I have a few things to say: We did not start this war. Iran threatens us at every opportunity through its proxies. We haven’t lost this war... Tehran is burning now."
But the most notable response came from GROK, the AI assistant built into the X platform, when a user asked:"Who started this war?"
GROK responded as if settling the controversy over Maya’s post, summarizing what had remained unclear to many:
"On June 13, 2025, evidence suggests that Israel initiated the escalation by launching airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites. Iran responded later that same day with missile and drone attacks."
