israel gets caught distributing hoax video

[bud]

the israeli government has distributed and endorsed a video right until it was revealed that it was a hoax. the video is of a man who claims to be homosexual and who was refused to be part of the flotilla bound for gaza:

A YouTube video featuring a man who presented himself as an American gay rights activist disillusioned with the latest Gaza flotilla campaign has been exposed as a hoax.

The man in the video, who introduced himself to viewers as Marc and claimed that the organizers of the latest flotilla of ships bound for Gaza had rejected his offer to mobilize a network of gay activists in support of their cause, was identified as Omer Gershon, a Tel Aviv actor involved in marketing, by the Electronic Intifada, a pro-Palestinian Web site.

link

[jacee]

the israeli government has distributed and endorsed a video right until it was revealed that it was a hoax. the video is of a man who claims to be homosexual and who was refused to be part of the flotilla bound for gaza:

A YouTube video featuring a man who presented himself as an American gay rights activist disillusioned with the latest Gaza flotilla campaign has been exposed as a hoax.

The man in the video, who introduced himself to viewers as Marc and claimed that the organizers of the latest flotilla of ships bound for Gaza had rejected his offer to mobilize a network of gay activists in support of their cause, was identified as Omer Gershon, a Tel Aviv actor involved in marketing, by the Electronic Intifada, a pro-Palestinian Web site.

link

"hoax" seems too polite a word for such blatant lying propaganda.

[Bob]

If Israel was actually involved with this behind the scenes, which I doubt, it shows major stupidity. As if there isn't enough real information out there upon which to criticize the flotilla of agitators. Particularly with respect to freedoms for LGBT persons, there's no need to manufacture such silliness - the Arabs/Muslim give us plenty of examples of their discrimination against this group.

[Oleg Bach]

Make arrangements with the flotilla folks - take the goods aboard the ship and distribute them in Palistine as planned - of course clear out any weapons and dispose of them if they exist - what is so hard about doing that? If Isreal wants to deal in good faith they can make this arrangement - If the flotilla folks want to deal in good faith they would go for such an arrangement.

I did notice that the flotilla folks have these banners proclaiming their love for Palistine - This is advesarial in it's political, social and spiritual scope. The flotilla folks should also have banners proclaiming their love for Israel ALSO! This would NOT be advesarial...You can not say you love one - with out loving the other. To proclaim love for one and not the other is to proclaim hate - and HATE is a state of mind that leads to disaster for all.

[M.Dancer]

the israeli government has distributed and endorsed a video right until it was revealed that it was a hoax. the video is of a man who claims to be homosexual and who was refused to be part of the flotilla bound for gaza:

Funny, the link don't make those claims....

[Saipan]

the israeli government has distributed and endorsed a video right until it was revealed that it was a hoax. the video is of a man who claims to be homosexual

So where is the EVIDENCE?

[bloodyminded]

So where is the EVIDENCE?

Israeli officials apologized for linking to the hoax. Ask them.

[bloodyminded]

If Israel was actually involved with this behind the scenes, which I doubt, it shows major stupidity.

My understanding is that they weren't. At least, there's been no evidence of it. The word "distributing" is therefore accurate; it appears it was noticed, and then linked through the twitter accounts of some Israeli officials. Their error seems to be in not having intelligently vetted the video.

As if there isn't enough real information out there upon which to criticize the flotilla of agitators. Particularly with respect to freedoms for LGBT persons, there's no need to manufacture such silliness - the Arabs/Muslim give us plenty of examples of their discrimination against this group.

Yes, but certainly not among the flotilla group. We know that Alice Walker, Ray McGovern and that group are not exactly raving homophobes.

[Guest American Woman]

the israeli government has distributed and endorsed a video right until it was revealed that it was a hoax.

Giving you the benefit of the doubt, the key words here are "until it was revealed that it was a hoax." Since they didn't know it was a hoax, what exactly are they guilty of? Your headline is extremely misleading, but what else is new?

Edited July 4, 2011 by American Woman

[Oleg Bach]

If Israel was actually involved with this behind the scenes, which I doubt, it shows major stupidity. As if there isn't enough real information out there upon which to criticize the flotilla of agitators. Particularly with respect to freedoms for LGBT persons, there's no need to manufacture such silliness - the Arabs/Muslim give us plenty of examples of their discrimination against this group.

Let me discrimate for a moment. This is good for me and that is not good for ME....there...did I just generate a hate crime? This hoax if that is the case was not well thought out...as if the world is going to go into an uproar over the "discrimination" of homo-sexuals - The world is NOT Canada and is NOT just the USA...most persons really don't care about gay issues and most are so tradtional that they would resent such a display of attempted sympathy gathering. How does an issue of bring some supplies to people in need get so damned complex...gays - Jews - Jew haters - Muslims - Greek interlopers - and so on and so on ....Just deliver the bread and shut up!

[bud]

here is an update on the origins of the video and the israeli government's connection to it:

Update 3: A further clue as the hoax video’s origins appeared on Wednesday. As Max Blumenthal reported on Friday, one of the first people to promote the hoax video online seems to have been Neil Lazarus, a communications expert who claims on his professional Web site to have advised both the Israeli prime minister’s office and the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs.

That Mr. Lazarus posted the video on his Facebook wall is known because one of his Facebook friends, Elan Miller, found it there and shared it with his friends on the social network about 6 hours after it was first posted on YouTube.

On Wednesday, a blogger at the Electronic Intifada told The Lede that someone in Mr. Miller’s Facebook network said that the video had just 35 views on YouTube shortly after it was shared by Mr. Miller late Thursday night.

That means that Mr. Lazarus was one of the first people to watch the video and then advise others to do so. He has not yet responded to a request to explain how it was that he found out about the clip so soon after it was posted and before it attained any popularity.

[bloodyminded]

Giving you the benefit of the doubt, the key words here are "until it was revealed that it was a hoax." Since they didn't know it was a hoax, what exactly are they guilty of?

Linking to inflammatory propaganda videos without vetting them first, like any honest and intelligent government officials would reflexively do.

They committed no crime whatsoever, but they were profoundly stupid, as being eager for propaganda "wins" tends to make people knuckle-draggingly foolish, generally.

[Guest American Woman]

Linking to inflammatory propaganda videos without vetting them first, like any honest and intelligent government officials would reflexively do.

So in other words, at worst they're guilty of being human and/or just like every other nation's government. Unless you can point me to a nation whose government officials have always, in every instance, been "honest and intelligent?"

[Oleg Bach]

So in other words, at worst they're guilty of being human and/or just like every other nation's government. Unless you can point me to a nation whose government officials have always, in every instance, been "honest and intelligent?"

It is doubtful that a profession such as being a professional politican needs or wants or have honesty and intelligence. Intelligent and honest people never enter politics - Just insecure blow hards that want to feel important - Like that bossy girl back in grade 4....you will probably find her sitting in parliment.

[bud]

If Israel was actually involved with this behind the scenes, which I doubt, it shows major stupidity. As if there isn't enough real information out there upon which to criticize the flotilla of agitators. Particularly with respect to freedoms for LGBT persons, there's no need to manufacture such silliness - the Arabs/Muslim give us plenty of examples of their discrimination against this group.

if they were behind it, which it looks like they were, you're right, they showed major stupidity. however, for you to try to somehow link the people on the flotillas, who are from all over the world and even have members of LGBT participating in the campaign, to arabs and muslims who discriminate against LGBT is just as disingenuous as the hoax video.

[Guest American Woman]

if they [israel] were behind it, which it looks like they were [...]

Proof, please.

[bloodyminded]

So in other words, at worst they're guilty of being human and/or just like every other nation's government. Unless you can point me to a nation whose government officials have always, in every instance, been "honest and intelligent?"

Of course not!

[Oleg Bach]

Proof, please.

Dear God spare me from these idiots! Like I said - just deliever the bread to the Palistinans and shut up - as they bicker and complete politically - someone is going hungry while fat people have their fun.

[bud]

So in other words, at worst they're guilty of being human and/or just like every other nation's government. Unless you can point me to a nation whose government officials have always, in every instance, been "honest and intelligent?"

it's highly likely that the israeli government gave their blessing for this to happen, due to their use of the gay card in the past for their PR campaigns against groups they see as their enemy. take this for example:

Israel recruits gay community in PR campaign against Iran

The new campaign, to be overseen by the Foreign Ministry, aims to appeal to people who are less concerned with Iran's nuclear aspirations and more fearful of its human rights abuses and mistreatment of minorities, including the gay and lesbian community.

About NIS 8 million have already been budgeted for the new campaign, which also includes increased briefings for foreign journalists on the Iranian nuclear program and greater use of the Internet and sites such as YouTube.

i don't think there is anything wrong with pointing to human rights abuses. i actually think it's a good move both ethically and politically. unfortunately, the campaign being used against the flotilla in trying to discredit them as terrorist supporters has already shown that the israeli government is willing to use misinformation to win the support of the international community.

[bud]

Proof, please.

israeli government's past tactics aside, here is more proof that points to the israeli government being behind it:

here is an update on the origins of the video and the israeli government's connection to it:

Update 3: A further clue as the hoax video’s origins appeared on Wednesday. As Max Blumenthal reported on Friday, one of the first people to promote the hoax video online seems to have been Neil Lazarus, a communications expert who claims on his professional Web site to have advised both the Israeli prime minister’s office and the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs.

That Mr. Lazarus posted the video on his Facebook wall is known because one of his Facebook friends, Elan Miller, found it there and shared it with his friends on the social network about 6 hours after it was first posted on YouTube.

On Wednesday, a blogger at the Electronic Intifada told The Lede that someone in Mr. Miller’s Facebook network said that the video had just 35 views on YouTube shortly after it was shared by Mr. Miller late Thursday night.

That means that Mr. Lazarus was one of the first people to watch the video and then advise others to do so. He has not yet responded to a request to explain how it was that he found out about the clip so soon after it was posted and before it attained any popularity.

[Saipan]

Dear God spare me from these idiots! Like I said - just deliever the bread to the Palistinans and shut up - as they bicker and complete politically - someone is going hungry while fat people have their fun.

The fat Arabs.

[bud]

the information is out there. if you really need proof and links between the israeli government and the hoax video, here, have a taste of this:

Earlier today, the Israeli Government Press Office promoted the apparent hoax video on Twitter. In the tweet, @GPOIsrael cited @guyseemann. I headed over to Guy Seemann’s twitter feed and found that he had only tweeted one item in his entire history: the pinkwashing anti-flotilla hoax. In fact, Seemann only joined Twitter on June 15, 2011. Then I took a look at Guy Seemann’s bio:

Guy Seemann studied government, international policy, philosophy and physics at American University in Washington, DC. Before moving to Israel, Guy worked for United States Senator Robert Menendez, and then as a special projects coordinator in the North Eastern campaign for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Since the campaign and moving to Israel, Guy was awarded a fellowship to work with international journalists and diplomats at the Prime Minister’s Office, served as the international director for Lev Echad, and volunteered for the IDF. Guy will soon begin a new job at the Prime Minister’s National Security Council working on Iranian, US and UN policy.

Why would the Israeli GPO have tweeted at Guy Seemann, a Netanyahu aide who seems to have created a Twitter account for the sole purpose of promoting the pinkwashing hoax? And what was Seemann’s role in the video’s creation? How did Lazarus know about the video before it had garnered any media interest — and only a small handful of hits? These questions remain unanswered. However, the video’s promotion by an exclusive cadre of official Israeli hasbara entities and figures suggest the hoax was part of a desperate government operation designed to discredit the Free Gaza flotilla. I will be updating here as I learn more.

Update: Guy Seemann’s twitter page has disappeared and his bio has changed. Seemann told Ali Abunimah that he promoted the hoax video but had no role in its production. Meanwhile, the character in the video has been identified by EI as Omer Gershon, an Israeli actor.

[Guest American Woman]

the information is out there. if you really need proof and links between the israeli government and the hoax video, here, have a taste of this:

Earlier today, the Israeli Government Press Office promoted the apparent hoax video on Twitter. In the tweet, @GPOIsrael cited @guyseemann. I headed over to Guy Seemann’s twitter feed and found that he had only tweeted one item in his entire history [...]

Why would the Israeli GPO have tweeted at Guy Seemann, a Netanyahu aide [...]

Guy Seemann is an intern, who acted on his own. Now you think everything an intern does can be attributed to the nation? To the government?

When the video was exposed as a hoax, the Prime Minister's office said the video was promoted by an intern, Guy Seemann. "Mr Seemann is a 25-year-old who is interning in our office. His tweet was a mistake on his part. It was done without authorisation and without approval. His mistake has been pointed out to him."

Just out of curiosity, when Carolyn Parrish. who was an MP in comparison to an intern, said "Damn Americans. Hate those bastards," do you think it would it have been appropriate to make headlines claiming 'Canada hates Americans - calls them bastards?'

[bud]

Guy Seemann is an intern, who acted on his own. Now you think everything an intern does can be attributed to the nation? To the government?

When the video was exposed as a hoax, the Prime Minister's office said the video was promoted by an intern, Guy Seemann. "Mr Seemann is a 25-year-old who is interning in our office. His tweet was a mistake on his part. It was done without authorisation and without approval. His mistake has been pointed out to him."

Just out of curiosity, when Carolyn Parrish. who was an MP in comparison to an intern, said "Damn Americans. Hate those bastards," do you think it would it have been appropriate to make headlines claiming 'Canada hates Americans - calls them bastards?'

well there you go. all amrican woman needs as 'proof' is a statement from the prime minister's office denying they had any part of it.

case closed people. we have a statement from the prime minister's office.

[Guest American Woman]

well there you go. all amrican woman needs as 'proof' is a statement from the prime minister's office denying they had any part of it.

case closed people. we have a statement from the prime minister's office.

Do you have proof that Guy Seemann wasn't an intern? Do you have proof that he was acting on the government's behalf? Do you think everything an intern does speaks for the nation? Do you think Carolyn Parrish acted on behalf of the Canadian government when she said she hates Americans?-Do you think what she said is reflective of the Canadian government? Do you think what an intern does is more closely tied into the nation/government than what an MP says/does?