'Confirm these things first': Internet mocks Andrew Tate as his 'synagogue tunnel theory' gets debunked after questioning Ben Shapiro

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A war of words between two prominent internet personalities took an absurd turn this week when Andrew Tate made an outlandish claim about a recently discovered synagogue tunnel in New York City.

In an inflammatory post directed at conservative pundit Ben Shapiro, the controversial former kickboxer posed a question implying that a passageway connects a synagogue to a nearby children's museum.

However, while a tunnel was indeed found underneath a Crown Heights synagogue, fact-checkers confirmed Tate's specific assertion is false – the passage does not extend to the children's museum across the street, as per Newsweek.

Andrew Tate's assertion about tunnel connecting synagogue to children's museum

Former kickboxer and internet personality Andrew Tate recently made an unfounded claim about a tunnel recently discovered underneath a synagogue in New York City. In a post directed at conservative journalist Ben Shapiro, Tate asked him to "explain the tunnels under a synagogue that lead to a kids museum."

This assertion, however, was quickly refuted by X's Community Notes feature, which provides factual corrections to misleading posts. The update had stated that while a tunnel was indeed found beneath the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters in Brooklyn, "The Jewish Children's Museum is across the street from the Chabad's headquarters. The passageway did not cross the street."

Tate's message to Shapiro was just the latest salvo in an ongoing war of words between the two controversial figures over Israel's conflict with Hamas. Shapiro, who is Jewish, condemned Hamas's attacks on Israel, while Tate, who is Muslim, has expressed support for Palestine and called for a ceasefire.

New York City authorities moved to stabilize surrounding buildings after tunnel discovery

The tunnel in question garnered attention after it was recently discovered underneath the global headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Crown Heights.

Spanning 60 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 5 feet high, the illegal underground passageway connected the women's section of the synagogue to a ritual bathhouse, prompting synagogue leadership to temporarily close off the women's area.

According to reports, young men in the community had worked on the tunnel in secret, hoping to fulfill an expansion plan envisioned by a former leader of Chabad. After officials moved to seal off the tunnel, some supporters protested, claiming it should be preserved to allow continued access.

After the tunnel were discovered, New York City authorities quickly moved to stabilize surrounding buildings that may have been structurally compromised.

Internet reacts to the debunking of Andrew Tate's synagogue tunnel theory

Upon learning of the debunking of Tate's synagogue tunnel theory, the internet community voiced various reactions. One user on X ( formerly Twitter) advised caution, stating, "Brah, you need to confirm these things first." Another user questioned the relevance of Shapiro addressing the issue, expressing, "Dude, why does Ben Shapiro have to answer to this and least of all to you?"

A third user emphasized responsible information sharing, urging, "Do your research blud, don’t propagate hateful conspiracies." Seeking clarification, another person inquired, "Please explain how they built those tunnels?"

In a concise response, a fifth user remarked, "Community noted." Meanwhile, in a light-hearted suggestion, a sixth user proposed, "Someone host a debate between Ben and Tate."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.