‘Squad’ Member Posts Fake Photo of ‘Hundreds of Dead Palestinian Kids’
This article originally appeared on WND.com
Guest by post by Bob Unruh
Claimed victims in image were killed by IDF, but they really were victims of Syria’s dictator
Ilhan Omar, the Democrat representative in Congress for a suburban district in Minneapolis, long has insisted that “disinformation” be struck from the conversations Americans have about issues.
Apparently that would be, however, only “disinformation” with which she disagrees.
That’s apparent because she was caught over the weekend spreading “disinformation,” or a lie, about the war that the Hamas terrorists launched against Israel a week ago.
In that initial assault, the terrorists broke into Israeli territory and killed an estimated 1,200 individuals immediately, including babies that were decapitated, according to IDF reports.
Omar’s response to the massacre by Hamas terrorists killing innocent civilian noncombatants, including children, was to post an image of children, dead, wrapped in white, lying on the floor.
She reposted the image from Sulaiman Ahmed, who said “CHILD GENOCIDE IN PALESTINE,” and, “614 Palestinian children murdered by the Israeli IOF Forces.”
You mean like this, @AOC? @IlhanMN is spreading dangerous misinformation, blaming Israel for killing kids who were killed by Assad in Syria 10 years ago.
Once again, the Squad doesn’t let the facts get in the way of their anti-Israel narrative. https://t.co/Ss1RitTpRZ pic.twitter.com/gJoho7cO4f
— AIPAC | Text ISRAEL to 24722 | #StandWithIsrael (@AIPAC) October 14, 2023
Only it wasn’t. The image was of children who were killed, but not by the IDF. These were children killed by a sarin nerve gas attack in 2013 by Bashar al-Assaid, the dictator of Syria.
Constitutional expert and popular legal commentator Jonathan Turley noted that Omar “has long been a leading voice among Democrats calling for censorship and speech controls in the name of combating disinformation.”
However, her offense was the same, “posting a picture purportedly showing children killed by Israeli forces. In reality, it was a picture of victims of a 2013 sarin gas attack in Ghouta, Syria.”
He explained, “The incident should, but is unlikely to, prompt Omar and fellow Democrats to reconsider their push for censorship and other anti-free speech measures. Such false imagery was quickly and effectively addressed in this incident without the need for bans and speech regulation.”
He explained, “The false image was quickly identified and challenged, including in a community note from X, formerly known as Twitter. There are obviously children who have been and will be killed in Gaza. However, many will knowingly spread false images or claims as part of that debate. Whoever posted this picture had to have known that it was not showing children from Gaza.”
He explained, “The incident shows that free speech allows for its own disinfectant. Bad speech is countered by better speech as the public judges what is true and what is false.”
The New York Post, which posted Omar’s propaganda image, said her “gruesome and false X post Saturday came after her fellow Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y., warned the public about the ‘incredibly high’ level of ‘misinformation in all directions’ on the platform concerning the Israel-Hamas war.”
The level of misinformation in all directions at this moment is incredibly high, especially on this platform.
If you see a claim, photo, or video that triggers a strong emotional reaction, take a moment to pause and check for veracity/confirmation from multiple sources.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 13, 2023
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee called Omar out, with, “@IlhanMN is spreading dangerous misinformation, blaming Israel for killing kids who were killed by Assad in Syria 10 years ago.”
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