U.N. Media Employee Caught Tweeting Misleading Photo of Bloody Palestinian Child — From 2006

Th e Blaze

A U.N. media official is under fire after tweeting a graphic image of an injured child and attributing it to recent Israeli air strikes on Gaza. While the photo, at first glance, certainly offers up a tragic sense of what war costs the men, women and children who live through it, the image is apparently years old and had nothing to do with Israeli actions.

But before we get into the gritty details, here is the controversial photo:
(GRAPHIC WARNING)


Link above for full story.

The full article reveals many details about the image, amongst them

A man named Avi Mayer initially tracked the image and found that it, at the least, goes back to 2009 and seems to be attached to tragedy that unfolded in Iraq

Using the website "TinEye" - Image search we can see that a few images are found, one of which is named "anotherdayiniraq.jpg".
Yeah, "Another day in Iraq".

Further research revealed that the photo was taken in 2006 by Reuters, and that the girl, initially thought to have been killed in an Israeli air strike, was injured by falling off a swing. When confronted with this information, Alzeer stated that the photo was taken last night and forwarded to the press that day.

Further reading reveals:

Back in 2006, a corrected caption on the photo read: “A Palestinian man carries the body of three year-old Raja Abu Shaban, in Gaza August 9, 2006. The three-year-old girl who had been reported killed by an Israeli air strike in Gaza on Wednesday actually died of an accident, Palestinian medical workers said on Thursday. Workers at Gaza’s Shifa hospital said on August 10, 2006 that the initial mistake over the cause of death appeared to have arisen because the girl’s corpse was brought in at the same time as the bodies of the gunmen. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES)”

The last paragraph goes on sums things up nicely:

Bizarrely, while she hasn’t apologized, Badawi linked out to a blog post from Alzeer on Monday saying that it is a “must read article.” The posting, of course, admits that the photo is fake, but goes on to address Israeli “propaganda.” The irony — teamed with the failure to apologize — is painful at best. Sadly, this isn't the only false photo floating around and being blamed upon current Israeli military action.

If that is the damage from falling off a swing, ny children will never be allowed near a playground again.

as far as propoganda and pictures go, how about those weapons on the Turkish flotilla aid boat to Palestine?
Propoganda is a two way street, the image you are showing here really isnt making many headlines and if wrong doing is being done, I hope that they make an example of the journalist and treat them all the same, and not just the anti Israel ones.

reply to post by munkey66


You mean these weapons found on the "Mavi Marmara"?


Or maybe the peaceful participants?


Oh, you mean the stun grenades thrown at Israeli soldiers!


Nah, you probably mean the peaceful crew that used no force, right?

If that can happen from peaceful protest, I'm never letting my kids go to a rally, ever!

I know, you mean the EXPIRED meds they brought for Gazans.

Originally posted by munkey66
If that is the damage from falling off a swing, ny children will never be allowed near a playground again.

as far as propoganda and pictures go, how about those weapons on the Turkish flotilla aid boat to Palestine?
Propoganda is a two way street, the image you are showing here really isnt making many headlines and if wrong doing is being done, I hope that they make an example of the journalist and treat them all the same, and not just the anti Israel ones.

edit on 18-3-2012 by munkey66 because: added content

Your incredibly stupid, Insanely stupid and blind. Your blind in the heart not the eye. Do you really think that an aid boat would equip itself with bombs? That would give Israel valid reasons to bomb it into million of pieces.
And you're defending the Israelis? It's your opinion, but it's an inhuman opinion.

reply to post by munkey66


The wound is on her head. The blood on her shirt is from that.

Click on the links in the OP and you will see a pattern of lies against Israel. I remember all of those stages photos and it's getting to the point where when I see anything that Israel supposedly did , I reserve judgement because it's only a matter of time before it get's exposed.

reply to post by ImaMuslim

Your incredibly stupid, Insanely stupid and blind.

Ehhm, he/she was actually asking about objective treatment of anti-Israeli journalist that pulled an old bleeding child picture in the war vs inhuman evil Israel.
Anyway - good thing you are not jumping into conclusions and not sticking deragotory labels to those who you think are wrong. Keep up the good job.

reply to post by Gramlengo


Those pictures you put up actually support my case.
first image could have easily been a galley draw opened as there are knives used for preparing food, a sharpening steel, a screw driver (because boats dont have screws) obvious weapon, angle grinder blades, a hammer and handles that could be used for gardening tools.
I worked on boats a long time and you should have seen half the crap we had, put that lot to shame and we wernt even in a danger zone, just fishing.
the second picture is great, men armed with sticks, notice no knives or screw drivers in hand.

third picture is harder to tell, who threw the stun grenade? the people on the boat or the soldiers before getting on the boat?
now the next picture is a strange one, do we have a helpful aid worker helping up a soldier who slipped on the ships deck?
because usually soldiers have a bit more protection on when boarding a ship like vests incase of attacks., even our customs boats have more protection when boarding fishing vessels.

now the last pic of the meds
they are a Paracetamol made by a greek company called Depon, used for head aches and mild fevers, an expiration date means that the product can no longer be sold after that date, but can still be used, the effects of the medication potency decreases the further out of date the product gets past teh expiry.

So a picture can paint a story or tell a great big lie, it all depends on your perspective.

What we have to do as people who like to believe we deny ignorance, is to understand that we get bombarded daily with propoganda and it is done by all sides, remember babies being killed in Iraq?
same here, the person who tweeted the pic should be held accountable for the falsehood, every journalist should be held accountable for their actions.

Just because I roll my eyes at this does not mean I do not care, but I do look objectivley at all and not from a biased position, maybe some here should try it

Originally posted by munkey66
reply to post by Gramlengo
Those pictures you put up actually support my case.
first image could have easily been a galley draw opened as there are knives used for preparing food, a sharpening steel, a screw driver (because boats dont have screws) obvious weapon, angle grinder blades, a hammer and handles that could be used for gardening tools.
I worked on boats a long time and you should have seen half the crap we had, put that lot to shame and we wernt even in a danger zone, just fishing.

Ok, so the obvious need for all those wooden clubs/pegs would be playing Piñata games, right?

Originally posted by munkey66
reply to post by Gramlengo

the second picture is great, men armed with sticks, notice no knives or screw drivers in hand.

That image shows only a handful of people our of the entire crew, there are many more images and videos showing the Mavi Maramara crew wielding weapons.

Originally posted by munkey66
reply to post by Gramlengo

third picture is harder to tell, who threw the stun grenade? the people on the boat or the soldiers before getting on the boat?

Are you serious? The picture clearly shows the boarding vessel being lit up by a stun grenade, the picture is taken form atop the Marmara's deck, looking down. Are you trying to suggest highly trained Israeli commandos threw those flash-bangs on themselves?

Originally posted by munkey66
reply to post by Gramlengo

 

now the next picture is a strange one, do we have a helpful aid worker helping up a soldier who slipped on the ships deck?
because usually soldiers have a bit more protection on when boarding a ship like vests incase of attacks., even our customs boats have more protection when boarding fishing vessels.

Again, how can you even think of that scenario? Does the look on the soldier's face convey a "oh, thank you for helping me up" or the look of someone trying to resist his attackers?
Regarding the gear? It was stripped down, obviously, as "trophies" by the crew.
Israeli commandos boarded the ships with riot gear and non-lethal arms drawn.
This next video shows how "Peaceful" the crew were and obviously just trying to help those soldiers climb down the ropes safely, right?
Also, you can see the gear they had.

Originally posted by munkey66
reply to post by Gramlengo

now the last pic of the meds
they are a Paracetamol made by a greek company called Depon, used for head aches and mild fevers, an expiration date means that the product can no longer be sold after that date, but can still be used, the effects of the medication potency decreases the further out of date the product gets past teh expiry.

So a picture can paint a story or tell a great big lie, it all depends on your perspective.

What we have to do as people who like to believe we deny ignorance, is to understand that we get bombarded daily with propoganda and it is done by all sides, remember babies being killed in Iraq?
same here, the person who tweeted the pic should be held accountable for the falsehood, every journalist should be held accountable for their actions.

Just because I roll my eyes at this does not mean I do not care, but I do look objectivley at all and not from a biased position, maybe some here should try it

You are trying to twist facts here, chanting "deny ignorance" yet this entire post tries to paint the whole situation as Israeli propaganda.

Do you honestly believe that if Israeli high command would have decided to use FORCE while boarding the ship that the situation would have looked like it did? Do you honestly believe that PEACEFUL people would be able to incapacitate a fully-equipped SPECIAL COMMANDO unit?

reply to post by Gramlengo


I'm baffled by your perception of this situation. The IDF boarded that ship and murdered 9 people in cold blood and you are trying to portray the IDF as the victim?

Originally posted by Corruption Exposed
reply to post by Gramlengo

 

I'm baffled by your perception of this situation. The IDF boarded that ship and murdered 9 people in cold blood and you are trying to portray the IDF as the victim?

So you're saying that the purpose of the raid was to murder innocent people?
In cold blood?!
Do you not see that images?! Do you not see the video?! Do you not see seemingly "innocents" beating the living hell out of those soldiers?! Do you not see them throw a soldier over board?! Do you not see a bloodied soldier with a look of horror on his face?!
Those soldiers did what they had to do, and that is to fight back.
If the "Mavi Maramar's" crew and captain would have listened to the IDF patrol boats and headed towards the port of Ashdod non of this would have taken place, yet they decided to engage in combat with armed commandos.
Honestly, would you be so dumb to do such a thing?
You, my friend, are the one with the twisted perception here, not I.

Lets not derail this topic from what it is - Propaganda in its ugliest form - Total and complete lies.

reply to post by Gramlengo


They boarded the ship in international water and executed 9 people. The IDF acted like pirates, and were clearly the aggressors.

You're just as guilty as the U.N. employee from your OP for the propaganda that you're promoting.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


Riiiiiight, keep telling yourself that, pirates.
Just like any other anti-Israeli shill you claim that no matter what happens, regardless of the situation, Israel and the IDF are the aggressors. Obviously, openly spoken militant and fundamentalist groups can never, ever be the aggressors.
OK.

reply to post by Gramlengo

Riiiiiight, keep telling yourself that, pirates.

Pirates is too nice of a word, cowards is more fitting.

Just like any other anti-Israeli shill you claim that no matter what happens, regardless of the situation, Israel and the IDF are the aggressors.

I'm not a shill, are you? The IDF are the ones who boarded that boat in international waters, so yes, they are the aggressors.

Obviously, openly spoken militant and fundamentalist groups can never, ever be the aggressors.

They were activists who were delivering some much needed aid. What militant fundamentalist group were they a part of?

As for the dishonest tweet in your OP, I'm glad they were caught in their lie. Their tactic obviously didn't work out the way they planned. I still think that you're just as guilty due to your method of portraying the IDF as the victim. When an Israeli boat gets raided in international waters and have 9 members of their crew executed I might consider your theory.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


Not once have I said that the IDF is a victim in this case, don't twist my posts.
Your posts convey this scenario:
+Israel commandos decided to raid random boats in international waters.
+Upon boarding those boats they than proceed to execute 9 random members of the crew.
+No apparent back-story to any of the aforementioned events.

Yet, you are wrong.
Gaza has been under blockade (legal, or not), prior to the flotilla departing Turkey/Greece Israeli authorities have warned all the involving parties to not try and break the blockade as this is a national threat to Israel and will be met with resistance (probably the reason the crew armed themselves in the first place) , instead all cargo aboard those ships will be offloaded at Ashdod port and driven by trucks into Gaza.
Failure to meet those demands resulted in a takeover at sea after repeated radio warnings to the entire flotilla, yet again they refused and ignored warnings.
Eventually, naval commando units attempted to board the "Mavi Marmara" without firing a single shot from their drawn PAINTBALL GUNS. Alas, they were met with knives and wooden and iron clubs.
As the video clearly shows, the instant those soldiers touched the deck they were brutally attacked by the crew members.
Several times it can be heard in the video (in Hebrew) on the IDF radio "Hold fire!" "Do not engage" "Watch your backs!"
Finally when higher ranks have witnessed what is going on on the boat, an order to open fire was given because of a direct threat to soldiers' lives.
But you would ignore all of that, wouldn't you?

One thing to note, just one:
If the IDF wanted to stop the flotilla with force, without regards to human lives or international law, they would have opened fire at the flotilla from patrolling gunships, from the "Blackhawks" carrying the soldiers or even from land.
Heck, the boat could have been sunk at sea without a trace and no one would even know about it.
Why board it? Riddle me that.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


There purpose was not to deliver aid as you put it.You do realize they said that Greta Berlin, a flotilla spokesperson, told AFT news-agency on 27 May that "this mission is not about delivering humanitarian supplies, it's about breaking Israel's siege." So trying to paint them as people just delivering medical supplies is stupid.

reply to post by Gramlengo


I let you have your fun with your pics, showing how the media can be manipulated and we are shown what we are meant to see as propoganda.
You did exactly what was talked about yet claim that I basically muddy the water.
The first photos off the Mavi Maramara showed bullet proof vests


a picture which was taken in 2006
there was also a photo of an axe dated back to 2003.

I notice you didnt add them to the pictures you supplied as they where already proven to be faked for propoganda purposes, but again, thats what propoganda is, isn't it?

So I go back to my original statement that all journalists should be held accountable and when they are found to be deliberately misleading, they be prosecuted.