I usually find the fact that Facebook is the #1 news source today exiting and hopeful, but there clearly is a down side to it: Even when an item is proven wrong, it could continue to circulate almost forever.
Fake pic of "IDF soldier" stepping on "Palestinian girl"
The above picture does NOT show an IDF soldier stepping on a Palestinian girl. These are not IDF uniforms, not IDF gloves, and the AK47 is not the IDF’s standard weapon (I am not even sure that this is a real gun). But even without these details, one could tell that there is something strange in this pic – more than anything, it’s the cool indifference of the entire scene.
I saw this picture for the first time a few months ago; at the time someone said it was taken from a Turkish TV show. In the last few days, it’s circulating again. And there is this tweet, claiming this picture was taken in Syria. Where will it pop up next?
UPDATE: The mystery is solved in the comment by David (see below). It’s a staged act, according to David – from Bahrain.
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Carl
Looks like a shot from a demonstration. Likely the middle east given the headscarf and number of flip-flops, but that looks like an ad-hoc costume, not a uniform even a militia would wear. Also, everyone’s feet are pointing at right angles to the ‘action’.
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I’d guess the picture’s from a PR stunt at a demo which has now gained a life of its own. My Arabic’s awful but it looks like it might say ‘Iraq’ on that paper from the little you can see. Any ideas native speakers?.
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The willingness of people to believe it is pretty depressing mind.
La Radio Israel
El color del uniforme y el arma NO corresponde a las Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel. Esa foto corresponde al Ejercito Sirio
David
Here’s the original. It is from Bahrain:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P7Et65hB9Lg/TymJZgr1fjI/AAAAAAAAGQM/1FH8yA3XriY/s640/play2.jpg
Carl
Nicely found David.
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It’s a slightly different version than the above one, but obviously the same event. Took on a Sony DSC-W210 on 26/12/2009, 10:41:27am. ISO 125 and ƒ-Stop 7.1 – if you dislike the content but are a photo nerd.
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I really need to get out more.
Assaf
Though staged, I can’t ignore what seems to be blood on top left corner.
Facebook indeed brings a lot of information, but also the neccesity for people to become intelegent media consumers.
Also, having seen the original photo where the person has an Israeli flack attached to the uniform, i would love to hear if someone has an intellegent guess of what is written on the sighn the girl is holding.
Carl
Haaretz catches you up:
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http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/photo-of-soldier-pointing-gun-at-girl-prompts-facebook-outcry-1.410477
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Bit late to the party this time… .. .
POLTERGEIST
Breaks your heart, doesn’t it?
Greg Pollock
Sadly, this pic may also circulate on “pro Israel” sites, noting it is false, showing thereby how Palestinians or whatnot blatently fake news to acheive their dishonest ends. If this photo was enginered by a Palestinian, only self inflicted damage has been done. By showing us at +972 you may limit that damage. New concept: the truth has value.
AYLA
Exactly Greg’s point. These images–which many of my fellow leftist friends have circulated in ernest–fuel the Pro-Israel defensiveness (They lie about us!). (And I have some of those friends, too–I’ve seen it used this way as well). Thank you, Noam, for recognizing that if we are going to be among those sounding the Wake-Up Call alarm, we must keep it real and fight for all kind of truth over propaganda. And we must be careful about what we circulate and where we shine a light: we can hurt our own/humanity’s cause by focussing not only on what’s false, but even on what’s freak (the most racist Israeli’s tattoo… the worst army t-shirt ever, which may or may not be authentic…). We are at such a tipping point right now–let’s be very intentional.
Carl
Yeah I inflicted the ‘comments’ section on myself briefly over at Haaretz and Facebook: a truly depressing parade of half-wits from across the spectrum. My favourite piece of stupidity being that it doesn’t matter that this is fake as Israeli’s do this sort of thing anyway, so in effect, it is real.
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That’s the thing with ‘feedback’ on the Internet. You get that car crash mentality – you want to look away but you just can’t help yourself.
Arnon Shwanzinger
How is this:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P7Et65hB9Lg/TymJZgr1fjI/AAAAAAAAGQM/1FH8yA3XriY/s640/play2.jpg
different from this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRec6Hnjhok
The strange thing is how the grassroots Israeli Hasbara has taken to this image. The Pavlovian instinct to latch on to staged Arab photos as representative of anti-Israeli propaganda is going to backfire. Quite counter-productive in the long-run.
Israel’s AstroTurfing of its Hasbara to the populace at large was a stop-gap measure. Its end-result will become its originating motive – the loss of state-control of the message.
shadi
The banner the little girl is carrying probably says “The Arab People,” whom she represents, and behind the “soldier” there appears a group of people standing and watching. My guess is that what appears in the photo is part of a show\protest or a street theater piece.
Pumpkin
Sometimes we don’t always have access to real time, actual photos. Words are poweful, but just like an article tells a story, sometimes putting those words into a visual piece to depict what is going on in the world is beneficial.
There are many staged and photoshopped pictures circulating, most times they are easy to notice, but that doesn’t take away from their crediblity in telling a story. I do understand and agree with your concern. Pictures are powerful.
Pumpkin
Art imitates life afterall. There is a difference between fact and fiction, not just in this topic but all topics/subject matters.
Martin
For the full image – http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/02/viral-photo-of-israeli-soldier-appears-fake.html
adeed
whether the photo above is real or fake, however, the conditions that makes you believe it persists. that’s the case !