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False Photo Incites on Facebook

Our Shattered Lens series examined how the wire services misused photo imagery to distort coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But what about unattributed photos that are deliberately used to incite against Israel on social media…

Simon Plosker
June 16, 2011
12:00 am

Reading time: < 1 minutes

Take a look at the photo below that has been posted on a Facebook page Freedom Will Come to Palestine:

Much like our own Photo That Started It All, the uninformed reader automatically jumps to the obvious conclusion. However, in this case, the “Israeli soldier” is carrying an AK-47 Kalashnikov – the weapon of choice for Arab regimes and terrorist organizations around the world. The IDF standard issue weapon is the US-made M16.

In addition, the uniform is not IDF issue either.

The rest of this Facebook page makes for unpleasant viewing but this particular photo is an example of how false or staged images can be used for incitement.

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Tags: Facebook, incitement, New Media, photo bias

Simon Plosker

With over two decades of experience in various non-governmental organizations in the UK and Israel, Simon Plosker returned to HonestReporting in October 2022 as Editorial Director having previously been part of the organization’s management team from 2005 to 2020. Prior to his first spell at HonestReporting, Simon worked in Israel for NGO Monitor, BICOM, and served for a short period in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. He was Managing Editor of the Geneva-based NGO United Nations Watch for two years before moving back to the frontline defending Israel from media bias. Simon has a BSoc.Sc in International Studies and Political Science from the University of Birmingham and an MSc in History of International Relations from the London School of Economics. He immigrated to Israel in 2001 from London.

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