RSS
When Journalists Spread Social Media Disinformation to Attack Israel
Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip, March 5, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Al-Basos
News consumers were told about inflammatory leaflets that Israel dropped on Gaza last Wednesday night.
According to reports by ABC and the The Telegraph, the leaflets stated that “The world map will not change if all the people of Gaza vanish.” An online post by a Washington Post columnist charged that the flyer constitutes “genocidal intent.”
Their evidence? Social media said so.
It might not be a surprise, then, that the two news outlets later walk backed their claims, while the Post columnist, Shadi Hamid, quietly deleted his post on X.com.
The ABC article now opens with an editors’ note: “An earlier version of this article said that the IDF had dropped leaflets with disturbing messaging. ABC News has not been able to confirm the authenticity of these leaflets. The IDF denies dropping these leaflets.”
CORRECTION: Earlier report of leaflets with disturbing message in Gaza cannot be confirmed; the IDF has denied dropping them.https://t.co/w6noxC1Amn
— ABC News (@ABC) March 20, 2025
The Telegraph, too, deleted its claim. Its piece now states, “It was reported earlier that Israel had dropped leaflets on Gaza,” and that “The IDF has denied this.”
Not only did Israeli officials deny the authenticity of the leaflet, but the photo shared by so many social media users, of a leaflet purportedly dropped over the last week in Gaza, was the exact same photo posted a month ago. And already then, Israel had denied responsibility for the leaflet.
The media retractions didn’t come in time to stop the spread. Haaretz, for example, extensively quoted from ABC’s own extensive quotes of the flyer. (It later added a paragraph reporting on the ABC editor’s note, but it didn’t change its text and didn’t acknowledge that ABC had actually withdrawn its claim.)
Meanwhile, the claim was echoed in the British Parliament. During a March 20 debate at the House of Commons, Conservative Party politician Kit Malthouse told his peers: “Of course it’s been reported that leaflets were dropped across Gaza last night threatening extermination.” And yet another echo, as the media then reported on Malthouse’s charges.
.
Israel did drop a different leaflet over Gaza –the standard variety calling on Palestinians in a combat zones to evacuate for their own safety. Ironically, even as Israel was attacked as dropping a leaflet it didn’t drop, Al Jazeera accused the country of failing to drop the leaflets that it did, in fact, drop.
Echoes of Amsterdam
This is hardly the first time the media rushed to accept and amplify anti-Israel disinformation from social media.
As Jews and Israelis were being attacked in Amsterdam last November, an anonymous X.com user posted video purportedly showing “an Amsterdam taxi driver attacked and abused” by Israelis.
His allegation was echoed not only by a collection of anti-Israel social media users (including a Guardian columnist) — but also by the Dutch media network RTL News. From RTL, it spread to USA Today, Reuters, Yahoo News, the Jewish Chronicle, and others.
.
The viral clip was scrubbed of its audio. As it had to be — in the unedited footage, the attackers are heard shouting “Palestine!” while the victims, after picking themselves up from the ground, speak to each other in Hebrew. In other words, this wasn’t an attack by Israelis on taxi drivers but the opposite: An assault against Israelis by taxi drivers.
Instead of filtering out social media’s disinformation about anti-Jewish violence, journalists worked to spread it. (To be fair, it was also journalists who exposed RTL’s falsehood.)
Other bad actors on social media posted a mistranslated clip that they falsely claimed showed Israelis in Amsterdam singing gleefully about child casualties in Gaza. As with the mischaracterized clip of the assault, the purpose was to justify the Amsterdam “Jew hunt.” And here, too, news outlets that have elsewhere warned about social media disinformation acted to uncritically spread it. The New York Times, the Guardian, and others told their readers about the non-existent video. Only after CAMERA challenged them to produce evidence did they admit they had seen no such footage.
Social media will inevitably be used as an accelerant for misinformation. Responsible journalism would help stop the spread — if only that were inevitable.
Gilead Ini is a Senior Research Analyst at CAMERA, the foremost media watchdog organization focused on coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The post When Journalists Spread Social Media Disinformation to Attack Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Trump Picks Lawyer Who Called Oct. 7 Attack a ‘Psyop’ to Lead Federal Watchdog Agency
Paul Ingrassia. Photo: Screenshot
Paul Ingrassia, a 29-year-old lawyer who was recently nominated by US President Donald Trump to lead a federal agency dedicated to combating corruption and protecting whistleblowers, seemingly dismissed the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2o23, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel as a “psyop,” or “psychological operation, in resurfaced social media posts.
“This ‘war’ is yet another psyop to distract Americans from celebrating Columbus Day,” Ingrassia wrote on X/Twitter on Oct. 8, 2023.
“I think we could all admit at this stage that Israel/Palestine, much like Ukraine before it, and BLM before that, and covid/vaccine before that, was another psyop,” he posted a week later. “But sadly, people fell for it. And they’ll fall for the next one too.”
On the actual day of the Oct. 7 massacre, Ingrassia compared illegal immigration into the US to the Hamas-led onslaught.
“The amount of energy everyone has put into condemning Hamas (and prior to that, the Ukraine conflict) over the past 24 hours should be the same amount of energy we put into condemning our wide open border, which is a war comparable to the attack on Israel in terms of bloodshed — but made worse by the fact that it’s occurring in our very own backyard,” he posted. “We shouldn’t be beating the war drum, however tragic the events may be overseas, until we resolve our domestic problems first.”
Trump announced last week that he picked Ingrassia to serve as head of the US Office of Special Counsel, a position that requires confirmation by the Senate.
The Office of Special Counsel is an independent federal ethics agency that works to ensure fairness and accountability within the government. Ingrassia’s role, if he is confirmed, would involve investigating claims of wrongdoing, such as retaliation against whistleblowers or improper political activity in the workplace. The official can recommend disciplinary action and reports serious findings to Congress, helping to protect federal employees and uphold the integrity of the civil service system.
Ingrassia also maintains a relationship with and defends alleged sex trafficker Andrew Tate, who has promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories on social media. Tate wrote on X/Twitter that he refuses to “listen to women, Mexicans, or Jews” and that Jewish people are “subverting Western populations into mass genetic suicide” by advancing what he described as misguided immigration policy. Tate has also accused Israel of committing a “genocide” in Gaza against Palestinians and engaged in Holocaust denialism.
The furor surrounding Ingrassia is the latest dustup the Trump administration has had regarding controversial personnel and antisemitism.
The Trump administration’s appointment of Kingsley Wilson as deputy press secretary at the Department of Defense also sparked widespread criticism due to her history of promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories and extremist views. Wilson, formerly associated with the Center for Renewing America, has a documented history of social media posts endorsing white supremacist ideologies, including claims about the 1915 lynching of Leo Frank — a Jewish man whose wrongful conviction and subsequent murder galvanized the founding of the Anti-Defamation League. In 2023, she tweeted that Frank “raped & murdered a 13-year-old girl,” a statement aligning with neo-Nazi narratives.
Late last month, the Pentagon announced that Wilson will be promoted and serve as the department’s new press secretary.
The post Trump Picks Lawyer Who Called Oct. 7 Attack a ‘Psyop’ to Lead Federal Watchdog Agency first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
US Congress Pushes to Designate Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization
US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaking at a press conference about the United States restricting weapons for Israel, at the US Capitol, Washington, DC. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Members of the US Congress are moving quickly to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as an official terrorist organization.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced on Tuesday that he will reintroduce an updated version of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act.
“In the coming days, I will be circulating and re-introducing a modernized version of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, which I have been pushing for my entire Senate career,” he posted on X/Twitter. “The Muslim Brotherhood used the Biden administration to consolidate and deepen their influence, but the Trump administration and Republican Congress can no longer afford to avoid the threat they pose to Americans and American national security.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) sent a letter to the White House on Tuesday asking US President Donald Trump to open an investigation into the Muslim Brotherhood, saying that the group maintains “a documented history of promoting extremist ideologies.”
“Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE all declared the Muslim Brotherhood an FTO [foriegn terrorist organization] over a decade ago, and France is considering its own action. Following suit would help the US disrupt the Muslim Brotherhood’s ability to recruit and finance terror around the globe,” Moskowitz wrote on X/Twitter.
The push to proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood gained momentum last month, when the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) organized a meeting to help members of Congress develop “strategies to ban the growing threat of the Muslim Brotherhood in the United States,” the research group said in a press release.
“The Muslim Brotherhood appears to be the intellectual inspiration behind all Islamist groups (and their jihadist offshoots) that operate today, such as ISIS, al Qaeda, and Hamas,” ISGAP wrote in a 2023 report. “Sunni jihadist groups are grounded in the firm ideological roots that key MB [Muslim Brotherhood] ideologues pioneered in the last century.”
Hamas, the internationally designated terrorist group that has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades and perpetrated the largest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust with its invasion of Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, is a Palestinian offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Both Cruz and Moskowitz noted that Hamas is a “branch” and an “affiliate” of the global Islamist movement.
While several countries in the Middle East have already classified the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, the United States has yet to do the same, despite several attempts by Congress over the years. During Trump’s first term in office, officials in both the White House and Congress took initial steps toward sanctioning the group’s international branches, but a formal designation was never finalized.
US lawmakers believe they have identified multiple pathways to economically cripple the internationally designated terror organization. Congress could combat the Muslim Brotherhood by designating it a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) or placing it on the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list. Both options would levy heavy penalties on the group through methods such as freezing its assets or sanctioning its leadership.
The post US Congress Pushes to Designate Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Iranian FM Meets Hezbollah Leader in Beirut as Tehran Tries to Ramp Up Support for Weakened Terror Proxy
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi lays a wreath as he visits the burial site of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, June 3, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem in Beirut on Wednesday, as Tehran moves to bolster its weakened terror proxy and maintain its presence in Lebanon.
During their meeting, Qassem expressed gratitude to the Islamist regime in Iran for its regional influence and “steadfast support of Palestinian resistance factions.”
According to local media, he also emphasized his commitment to Lebanon’s “progress, stability, sovereignty, and the expulsion of occupation from its territory.”
The Iranian-backed terrorist group has been struggling to maintain its political grip in Lebanon as it continues to reel from the devastating consequences of its war with Israel — a conflict that erupted after Hezbollah expressed “solidarity” with Hamas following the Palestinian terrorist group’s invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
As part of his trip to Beirut, Araghchi also met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri — a key Hezbollah ally.
During those meetings, the top Iranian diplomat stressed the importance of bilateral relations between the two countries and reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to providing economic, political, and social support through enhanced cooperation.
“I expressed my full support for Lebanon’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and reconstruction in light of Israel’s occupation,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X. “Our goal and hope is to open a new chapter in our centuries-old relationship, built on mutual respect and shared interests.”
سررتُ بالعودة إلى بيروت الجميلة. خلال اجتماعاتي مع الرئيس، ورئيس مجلس النواب، ورئيس الوزراء، ووزير الخارجية، أعربتُ عن دعمي الكامل لاستقلال لبنان وسيادته وسلامة أراضيه وإعادة إعماره في ظل الاحتلال الإسرائيلي.
هدفنا وآملنا هو فتح صفحة جديدة في علاقتنا الممتدة لقرون، والمبنية على… pic.twitter.com/Gnv2sQeNaA
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 4, 2025
For his part, Aoun emphasized the importance of dialogue in “resolving differences” and highlighted post-war reconstruction as a top priority for his government.
According to local media, Araghchi also said that Iranian companies are prepared to contribute to the country’s post-war reconstruction efforts.
Since Lebanon’s US-backed army commander took office earlier this year and a new cabinet with reduced influence for Hezbollah was established, the terrorist group has faced mounting calls for disarmament as the new government seeks to assert full control over the country’s territory.
In November, Lebanon and Israel reached a US-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended a year of fighting between the Jewish state and Hezbollah. Under the agreement, Israel was given 60 days to withdraw from Lebanon’s southern border, allowing the Lebanese army and UN forces to take over security as Hezbollah disarms and moves away from Israel’s northern border.
Although Jerusalem has withdrawn most of its ground forces since the war ended, Israeli officials have said it will retain control of five strategic positions in the south of the country until the Lebanese army demonstrates it can maintain security there.
Last fall, Israel decimated much of Hezbollah’s leadership and military capabilities with an air and ground offensive, which ended with the ceasefire.
Tens of thousands of residents in northern Israel were forced to evacuate their homes last year due to relentless attacks from Hezbollah, which expressed solidarity with Hamas amid the Gaza war.
Last month, the Lebanese government and the Palestinian Authority reached an agreement to disarm all 12 Palestinian refugee camps across Lebanon. Both leaders pledged that Palestinian factions would refrain from using Lebanese territory as a launchpad for attacks against Israel and that all weapons would be placed under government control.
The post Iranian FM Meets Hezbollah Leader in Beirut as Tehran Tries to Ramp Up Support for Weakened Terror Proxy first appeared on Algemeiner.com.