What’s wrong with this pic? It’s a fake

Noam Sheizaf By Noam Sheizaf February 1, 2012 | Edit

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.

What's wrong with this pic? It's a fake
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. 

Noam Sheizaf

Noam Sheizaf is an independent journalist and editor. He was the founding executive director and editor-in-chief of +972 Magazine. Prior to joining +972, he worked for Tel Aviv’s Ha-ir local paper, Ynet, and the Maariv daily, where his last position was deputy editor of the weekend magazine. He is currently working on a number of documentary films.

<p>End of article module for Members</p>

TEST TEST GAL Our team has been devastated by the horrific events of this latest war. The world is reeling from Israel’s unprecedented onslaught on Gaza, inflicting mass devastation and death upon besieged Palestinians, as well as the atrocious attack and kidnappings by Hamas in Israel on October 7. Our hearts are with all the people and communities facing this violence.    We are in an extraordinarily dangerous era in Israel-Palestine. The bloodshed has reached extreme levels of brutality and threatens to engulf the entire region. Emboldened settlers in the West Bank, backed by the army, are seizing the opportunity to intensify their attacks on Palestinians. The most far-right government in Israel’s history is ramping up its policing of dissent, using the cover of war to silence Palestinian citizens and left-wing Jews who object to its policies.   This escalation has a very clear context, one that +972 has spent the past 14 years covering: Israeli society’s growing racism and militarism, entrenched occupation and apartheid, and a normalized siege on Gaza.   We are well positioned to cover this perilous moment – but we need your help to do it. This terrible period will challenge the humanity of all of those working for a better future in this land. Palestinians and Israelis are already organizing and strategizing to put up the fight of their lives.   Can we count on your support? +972 Magazine is a leading media voice of this movement, a desperately needed platform where Palestinian and Israeli journalists, activists, and thinkers can report on and analyze what is happening, guided by humanism, equality, and justice. Join us.

Make a Donation