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Dwight Howard, the star center on the Houston Rockets, one of two NBA teams with an Israeli player, briefly waded into the digital discourse on the ongoing battle between Israel and Hamas. He then very quickly jumped out.

The offending (depending on your take) tweet came late on Saturday afternoon, reportedly in response to a fan plea on Twitter.

Some fifteen minutes after it went up to his five million followers, it was gone. He quickly clarified:

previous tweet was a mistake. I have never commented on international politics and never will. — Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) July 12, 2014

I apologize if I offended anyone with my previous tweet, it was a mistake! — Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) July 12, 2014

Less equivocal about Middle Eastern politics is Omri Casspi, Howard's teammate on the Rockets, who is the first Israeli player ever to be both drafted and play in the NBA. Following the kidnapping and murders of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank, one of the instigating events in the ongoing crisis, Casspi lent his support to the public awareness/social media campaign to bring the kidnapped teenagers back. In recent days, he has been active on the topic on Twitter, including this tweet, which came a short while after Howard's.

600 missiles been fired from GAZA by Hamas in the last 4 days. NUMBERS DONT LIE. STOP LYING. — Omri Casspi (@Casspi18) July 12, 2014

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