Justin Bieber under fire for posting ‘Praying for Israel’ over image of Gaza
Canadian pop star Justin Bieber is under fire for sharing a post in support of Israel using a photo of destruction in Gaza.
The 29-year-old singer posted an Instagram story with the words “Praying for Israel” overlayed on an image of a damaged neighborhood in Gaza.
The musician deleted the post within an hour and reshared the message with the same wording but with no background.
According to the co-founder of fact-checking website Alt News, Mohammed Zubair, the picture is an aerial view of a destroyed building in Gaza that had been hit by Israeli air strikes on May 22, 2021.
Bieber is not the only celebrity who is being criticized for sharing false images.
US actress Jamie Lee Curtis shared an image of terrified children looking up at the sky, alleging that they were Israelis taking cover from Hamas rockets.
However, fact-checkers have confirmed that the image was taken by the New York Times and shows Palestinian children afraid of the sounds of Israeli bombings as they seek refuge with their families in UNRWA schools inside the Gaza Strip.
Misinformation – incorrect or misleading information – and disinformation – deliberately deceptive propagated information – have been rampant in the days following the ongoing violence.
The White House on Wednesday backtracked a statement by US President Joe Biden claiming he had seen pictures of Israeli children who were beheaded by Hamas militants.
Speaking to The Washington Post, a spokesperson said that the president had not received photographs of such incidents and was basing his claims on reports he heard from Israeli media.
The Israeli army has also denied that it has confirmation that Hamas was beheading babies.
