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Iran Attacks Israel: CNN Host Minimizes Barrage & Fake News Goes Viral

An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, April 14, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Iran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel on Saturday, sending at least 300 drones and missiles towards the Jewish state.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) coordinated with other militaries, including the US and UK, to intercept most of the projectiles, which were also supplemented by further rockets fired from Iranian terror proxies in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah also joined the assault, and announced that it had fired two barrages of rockets at an Israeli military base in the Golan Heights.

Hamas gained support for Oct 7 by inciting fear among Palestinians about Israel’s intentions for the Temple Mount.

Tonight, Israel protected their holy sites from missiles fired by Hamas’s patron Iran. pic.twitter.com/sluuiXgbzb

— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) April 14, 2024

Fake News Goes Viral Overnight

As the skies above and surrounding Israel were lit up with rockets overnight, social media was also alight with fake news, videos, and photos purporting to be of the extraordinary attack.

While the majority of outright false information came from users on the platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Qatari mouthpiece Al Jazeera was also caught publishing a video that it falsely claimed showed rockets hitting Tel Aviv.

Meanwhile, infamous pro-Hamas influencer Jackson Hinkle was among the X platform users to share fake footage that he said showed “Israelis panicking” as the Iranian barrages hit Israel. BBC Verify journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh confirmed the video was actually of crowds in Argentina waiting to meet a musician. 

This video, posted by Jackson Hinkle and others and viewed nearly 5 million times, claims to show “Israelis panicking” as Iran’s missiles and drones reach Israel.

in fact, it shows Louis Tomlinson fans near Four Seasons Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina last week; verified by… pic.twitter.com/11tX9bL0sh

— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) April 14, 2024

Hinkle, who was recently banned from Instagram, posted numerous messages of support for Iran throughout the attack, including several posts praising Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and AI-generated images of planes dropping bombs.

Unsurprisingly, Iran’s state TV was behind the spread of many videos that purported to show catastrophic damage in Israel, including one that was actually of a fire in Chile that was filmed in February.

On the left: Iranian state media claiming this is footage from an Iranian missile which hit Israel.

On the right: the same footage from a fire in Chile in February.

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐦𝐞: our defense systems intercepted 99% of their missiles. pic.twitter.com/xpLXGO3qd0

— Israel ישראל (@Israel) April 14, 2024

Perhaps hoping to ratchet up the tension, a number of users shared claims that Israel had immediately launched a drone counterstrike on Iran, including sharing videos of what they claimed was a fire in Tehran.

Others shared footage of the 2020 Beirut Port explosion, which they said showed Israel’s Mossad bombing the Iranian capital.

BREAKING: A massive drone strike has occurred in Iran’s capital, Tehran. The Israeli Mossad has already claimed responsibility for it. pic.twitter.com/Q9VdxI6heV

— GSPs Backup (@ConLibCon) April 13, 2024

The international media responded to the overnight attack with breaking news updates and rolling live coverage.

While most of the reporting stuck to the facts, there were a few instances of the media either downplaying the attack or obscuring the sequence of events that preceded Iran’s assault.

CNN pundit Christiane Amanpour, for example, ludicrously described the attack as “entirely targeted,” even though hundreds of thousands of Israelis were forced into shelters as large parts of the country remained under threat.

“It seems to be entirely targeted; it wasn’t an attack directed at the whole of Israel.”@amanpour, try telling that to the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who were forced into bomb shelters or the 7-year-old girl critically injured by shrapnel to her head. pic.twitter.com/XtZaPY8zmR

— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) April 14, 2024

The BBC and ABC News Australia did not specify in their headlines that Iran had fired hundreds of drones and long-range missiles at Israel, instead vaguely referring to the weapons as “objects.” Furthermore, ABC News Australia’s headline failed to mention Iran at all.

“Objects.”

Well done, @BBCNews. https://t.co/289O02VZRl pic.twitter.com/oo16CLpxk4

— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) April 14, 2024

The New York Times, in its coverage, suggested that the attack was somehow justified by asserting that Israel had “bombed an Iranian embassy complex” in Damascus. In reality, Israel targeted a building near the embassy that was being used by Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) leaders to coordinate attacks on Israel.

The Observer published an editorial mere hours after the attack, calling for any further escalation to be prevented:

Amid the present tumult, it should not be forgotten that this Iranian attack was provoked, according to Iran’s leadership at least, by Israel’s unacknowledged bombing on 1 April of an Iranian embassy annex in Damascus that killed several senior commanders. In Tehran’s not unreasonable view, that attack crossed a red line by targeting diplomatic premises.” [emphasis added]

Let us be completely clear: there is nothing “unreasonable,” as The Observer suggests, about Israel striking the infrastructure of the world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism that was being used to mastermind attacks on Israel. Suggesting it was merely a diplomatic facility is nothing short of absurd.

According to @ObserverUK, “this Iranian attack was provoked, according to Iran’s leadership at least, by Israel’s unacknowledged bombing on 1 April of an Iranian embassy annex in Damascus that killed several senior commanders. In Tehran’s not unreasonable view, that attack… pic.twitter.com/sXidFByZTZ

— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) April 14, 2024

The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.

The post Iran Attacks Israel: CNN Host Minimizes Barrage & Fake News Goes Viral first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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The Solution to Israel’s Political and Judicial Discord Runs Through Each of Us

A general view shows the plenum at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Jerusalem. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

In the midst of Israel’s ongoing political and judicial tensions, each side has become increasingly convinced that the other represents an existential threat to the nation we all love. The right fears that judicial overreach is undermining democratic will; the left fears democratic erosion and the loss of crucial checks and balances. Both sides believe they are fighting to save Israel, yet it is this polarization itself that poses, perhaps, the greatest danger to our collective future.

The question we must all ask ourselves, as honestly as possible, is deceptively simple but deeply challenging: How do I know whether I am part of the problem or part of the solution?

Years ago, while lecturing in America during the Obama administration, I proposed a litmus test: If you cannot name three positive aspects of the opposing political perspective, there is a high probability that, regardless of whether your position is factually correct, you are contributing to the problem rather than helping solve it.

This insight traces back to the Garden of Eden. According to Maimonides’ interpretation of Genesis, humanity’s original sin was essentially subjectivity, confusing what feels good with what is good, and what feels bad with what is bad. Once trapped in this subjective bubble, we convince ourselves that those we dislike do only wrong, while those we admire do only right. The human mind becomes an exceptional attorney, skillfully marshaling evidence to support our predetermined conclusions while dismissing contradictory facts.

This pattern repeats across contexts: in marriages heading toward divorce, in fragmenting communities, and in nations tearing themselves apart politically. If you cannot engage in self-criticism while acknowledging something positive about your opponents, you usually have become part of the destructive cycle.

After proposing this test during my American lecture, an audience member immediately responded, “I completely agree, I wish the Democrats understood that.” I just paused, and after letting her statement sink in, I responded, “Okay, can you say three good things about Barack Obama?” And she said, “Sure.” I said, “Go on.” And she paused, for a long while until she finally said, “He’s a good family man.” I said, “No, can you tell me anything about his policies or his politics?” She was stuck. I told her, “I’m not blaming you, but the statistical likelihood that all the good is on one side and all the problems are on the other side is statistically zero.” The same holds true for us here in Israel, and in every polarized society. The statistical probability that all wisdom and virtue reside on one side of a complex political divide — while all error and vice occupy the other — is effectively zero.

Israel’s situation demands this same honest self-reflection. Our judicial reform debates have exposed deep fault lines in Israeli society, with each side viewing the other through lenses clouded by fear and anger. These emotions, while natural, distort our perception and impair our judgment.

The healing of our nation begins with individual responsibility. We must learn to see the world through the eyes of other — not necessarily to agree with them, but to understand why reasonable, ethical people might hold views diametrically opposed to our own. Often, we discover that others share our fundamental concerns, but approach them from different angles.

Half the country did not suddenly decide to embrace evil. Whether left-wing or right-wing, our leaders’ rhetoric responds to and amplifies genuine worries felt by large segments of the population. If you cannot recognize the legitimacy of concerns on both sides, you are contributing to our national discord rather than its resolution.

The Torah teaches us that before we can repair the world, we must first repair ourselves. Israel’s healing will emerge first through individual transformation, then through small community dialogues, and only then will our national leadership respond to this grassroots change. Our leaders reflect our divisions because we, the people, remain divided.

This approach requires tremendous courage. It means questioning our certainties, acknowledging our biases, and recognizing that wisdom rarely belongs exclusively to any single perspective. It means being willing to say, “Perhaps I don’t have all the answers. Perhaps I need to listen more and judge less.”

The path forward for Israel requires us to move beyond seeing political opponents as enemies and instead recognize them as partners in a shared national project, even when we profoundly disagree. Our strength has always come from our diversity of thought and our capacity for vigorous debate within a framework of mutual respect and common purpose.

The solution to Israel’s discord runs through each of us individually as well as collectively. It begins when we look in the mirror and acknowledge our own contributions to the problem. It continues as we build bridges across divides, listen with genuine curiosity rather than waiting to respond, and seek understanding before demanding agreement.

Only then can we transform this period of conflict into an opportunity for growth and emerge as a stronger, more united Israel, not through imposed uniformity of thought, but through a richer, more nuanced appreciation of our shared destiny and diverse perspectives.

Rabbi Daniel Rowe currently serves as the Educational Visionary of Aish, a global Jewish educational institution, and resides in Jerusalem. He is originally from Manchester, UK, and is writing several books as well as his doctoral thesis on the Philosophy of Mathematics. Rabbi Rowe studied for almost a decade in Israel in various Talmudic institutes. Rabbi Rowe is known for his ability to tackle difficult topics and has numerous videos and articles online. He is an expert on Jewish and Muslim history and has given several talks on the subject of the Judeo-Muslim dynamic and interactions in the modern world.

The post The Solution to Israel’s Political and Judicial Discord Runs Through Each of Us first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Guy Christensen: The Gen-Z TikTok Star Inciting His 3.4 Million Followers to Murder ‘Zionists’

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim who were shot and killed as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, pose for a picture at an unknown location, in this handout image released by Embassy of Israel to the US on May 22, 2025. Photo: Embassy of Israel to the USA via X/Handout via REUTERS

You may not have heard of Guy Christensen — but perhaps you should have. Not because he has anything remotely insightful to offer (he doesn’t), but because millions of Gen Z users do hear him, every day.

And understanding Guy Christensen helps explain why so many American college campuses have become incubators for an anti-Israel movement that is less “progressive” than it is unapologetically pro-Islamist.

Born in 2005, Christensen is part of a growing cohort of American influencers who discovered both their political awakening — and their monetizable moment — in the wake of Hamas’ October 7 massacre. Before then, his Instagram resembled that of any ordinary teenager: fishing trips, photos of his girlfriend, the typical adolescent blend of leisure and self-regard.

But like many others, Christensen sensed an opportunity. The fusion of performative compassion for Palestinians and the algorithmic rewards of antisemitism proved irresistible. And so, in May 2025, he posted a video so brazen and grotesque that it achieved precisely what he seemed to desire: outrage, attention, and media coverage.

In the now-deleted post — eventually taken down by TikTok and Instagram — Christensen, who frequently appears on camera draped in a keffiyeh, openly endorsed the murders of Israeli embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. The couple was gunned down outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 21.

Guy Christensen on Instagram

Guy Christensen on Instagram

We are not reproducing the footage. But Christensen’s words are worth documenting — if only to illustrate the depths to which online “activism” has sunk.

“I do not condemn the elimination of the Zionist officials who worked at the Israeli embassy last night,” he declared. He urged his followers to “support Elias’s actions,” referring to Elias Rodriguez, who has since been charged with two counts of murder. “He is not a terrorist. He’s a resistance fighter,” Christensen insisted. “And the fact is that the fight against Israel’s war machine, against their genocide machine, against their criminality, includes their foreign diplomats in this country.”

Rodriguez reportedly told police at the scene: “I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza.” After his arrest, he was witnessed chanting “Free Palestine.” Federal prosecutors are treating the attack as an act of terrorism. Rodriguez could face the death penalty. He also said he supported a genocide against white people.

Christensen, meanwhile, may face some type of investigation, with Department of Justice civil rights attorney Leo Terrell stating that he intends to “review all leads.” But the likelihood of real legal consequences remains low. Christensen is a US citizen — and in today’s climate, incitement to murder “Zionists” online exists, as we have seen, in a murky legal gray zone.

The Christensen saga — from teenage TikTok trends to online advocacy for antisemitic violence — is a textbook example of real-time online radicalization. What began as vague, aestheticized “anti-war” rhetoric swiftly mutated into explicit incitement. And millions of young people watched it happen.

In a November 2024 interview with the World Socialist Web Site, which introduced him as a “pro-Palestinian activist” who has “educated many young people [about the] genocide in Gaza,” Christensen explained how it began.

According to him, he already had a large following “prior to October 7th,” when his feed began to fill with “pro-Israel posts about Gaza and Hamas.” He admits: “I knew absolutely nothing about Israel or Palestine.”

“I was seeing all these videos, and I had no idea what they were talking about,” he said. “The idea I got was that Hamas was terrible, that the Palestinians were terrible human beings — and it was a little weird to hear this because it was borderline hateful.”

Then, he says, a pair of comments appeared on his TikTok feed: “Google Nakba” and “Google open air prison.” He did — and, as he puts it, “What I found took me down a path that changed my whole entire life.”

That path, notably, began not with a book, a class, or a conversation — but with two pieces of highly ideological terminology. The first, Nakba — Arabic for “catastrophe” — is the term used to describe the very existence of the State of Israel. The second, “open-air prison,” is an oft-repeated but absurd phrase for a territory that, prior to the current war, saw Hamas leaders living in opulence, amassing enormous wealth, and building a vast arsenal of rockets to fire at Israeli civilians.

As simplistic as Christensen’s radicalization story may seem, it is instructive. It reveals how uninformed young creators can be swept up — and swiftly weaponized — in a digital ecosystem flooded with bot activity, algorithmic amplification, and moral absolutism.

Pro-Palestinian bot networks have been documented spamming platforms like TikTok and Instagram, mass-reporting pro-Israel content while boosting anti-Israel messaging. It’s not far-fetched to suggest that high-follower Gen-Z influencers like Christensen were both targeted and elevated by such manipulation.

The result is that TikTok stars like Christensen are now promoting a worldview that merges antisemitism, anti-Americanism, and political violence — rebranded as “anti-Zionism,” repackaged for a young social media audience, and delivered at viral scale.

Guy Christensen's TikTok feed

Guy Christensen’s TikTok feed

The question is no longer whether this content is dangerous, but rather: who is going to do anything about it?

At a minimum, colleges and universities must stop pretending this is merely youthful dissent. If a student openly glorifies murder, why should they be welcomed on campus and rewarded with a degree?

And employers, take note: do you want your brand associated with someone who advocates violence against Jews?

Most urgently, social media companies must be held to account. The murders of Yaron and Sarah are not abstract tragedies. Their deaths are the irreversible consequence of a culture that rewards incendiary content and enables its spread.

Though Instagram and TikTok eventually removed the specific video in which Christensen applauded the killings, the rest of his content — much of it laced with the same veiled incitement — remains online, racking up likes, shares, and impressions.

Since October 7, content like Christensen’s hasn’t merely persisted — it has flourished. His follower count has soared. Bots flood hashtags. Pro-Israel voices are drowned out. And the platforms, far from restraining this trend, continue to profit from it.

It is not enough to remove a single video after the damage is done.

It’s time to stop rewarding hate with reach. It’s time to stop monetizing murder.

The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.

The post Guy Christensen: The Gen-Z TikTok Star Inciting His 3.4 Million Followers to Murder ‘Zionists’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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The Palestinian Authority Just Honored a Baby Killer in an Official Ceremony

Palestinian Olympic Committee President Jibril Rajoub, who also heads the Palestinian Football Association, holds a news conference to update the media about challenges facing Palestinian sports ahead of the Olympics in Paris, in Ramallah, in the West Bank, June 12, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad

When the Palestinian Authority (PA) says that the murderer of a 9-month-old is a “symbol of the Palestinian people’s struggle,” can the PA be called anything other than a terror organization?

In yet another morally reprehensible display of terror support, Fatah Central Committee Secretary Jibril Rajoub and other senior PA and Fatah officials held a public ceremony honoring convicted terrorist murderers — including a terrorist responsible for the murder of a 9-month-old Israeli infant.

[Fatah Movement – Nablus Branch, Facebook page, May 3, 2025]

The terrorists were released in January in exchange for Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The recent event in their honor was organized by PA leader Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah Movement.

The ceremony, described as an “appreciation for the symbols of the Palestinian people’s struggle,” featured Rajoub personally presenting honorary plaques to released terrorist prisoners Yasser Abu Bakr and Nasser Al-Shawish, each of whom was convicted of murdering three people.

[Fatah Movement – Nablus Branch, Facebook page, May 3, 2025]

Abu Bakr threw a grenade from a rooftop in Hadera in 2002, killing 9-month-old Avia Malka and two other Israelis. Al-Shawish was involved in multiple terror attacks and murders, including targeting Israeli civilians.

Photos from Fatah’s event show Rajoub with the murderers, solidifying their status as celebrities and role models in Palestinian society. Other leaders present were Fatah Revolutionary Council member Akram Rajoub, PLO Youth and Sports Director-General Issam Al-Qaddumi, and representatives of the PA-funded Prisoners’ Club and PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs — highlighting the official endorsement of terrorism.

This embrace of terrorists who murdered civilians — including an infant — is not isolated, but part of a fundamental Palestinian Authority policy of glorifying terror and terrorists as “heroic” as documented for decades by Palestinian Media Watch.

This celebration of murderers is not only a celebration of brutality and terrorism, but direct incitement to more terror, as Palestinians, especially children and teenagers, see the high status achieved by terrorists.

The author is the Founder and Director of Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article first appeared.

The post The Palestinian Authority Just Honored a Baby Killer in an Official Ceremony first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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