Israel

Did Israel's Chief Rabbi, David Yosef, write a condolence letter to the family of Charlie Kirk on September 2, 2025 -- more than a week before Kirk was killed? No, that's not true: The letter was written on Sept. 12, 2025, but it was shared publicly online with a typing error -- it was dated September 2, 2025. In an…

Did Qatar "demand" returning the jet it gave to the Trump administration in the late spring of 2025? No, that's not true: As of September 12, 2025, Lead Stories found no credible reports corroborating the claim. The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs made no such public demands. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published on TikTok on September…

Does a real photo show the political and climate activist Greta Thunberg wearing a revealing keyhole T-shirt along with her signature frog hat? No, that's not true: The photo of Greta Thunberg has been digitally edited. The shirt Thunberg actually wore when she was photographed in Barcelona, Spain, is a crop top which does not have a cutout below the…

Did the Nobel Committee quietly remove President Donald Trump's name from the list of nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize? No, that's not true: The nominations list for a Nobel Peace Prize is private, and not made public until 50 years after it is awarded. The meme making the claim said the removal was done "quietly," yet it also shows…

Does a viral image show "Israeli Major General Shitan Shaul" under arrest on charges related to war crimes in Rafah? No, that's not true: The 2022 photo predates the most recent round of escalation in the region that began with the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. The image was originally published online to illustrate news reports about a…

Did former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warn President Donald Trump that he should not think that "the Mossad alone has a video archive of his past depravities"? No, that's not true: The quote was attributed to "Russia media" by a website that claims to be in Israel, but appears to be managed in Ukraine. Lead Stories could find no evidence…

Did Mel Gibson post a message on his X account vowing to expose pedophiles and human traffickers in Hollywood, including "Epstein's network and the Diddy connections"? No, that's not true: Gibson does not have an X.com account, or any social media accounts, his publicist told Lead Stories. The account that posted the message was created in 2024 and only has…

Did the self-styled "QAnon Shaman" Jacob Angeli-Chansley write "Fuck Donald Trump" on X in July 2025? Yes, that's true: Social media users shared screenshots of the post, which Angeli-Chansley published on July 23. Angeli-Chansley's X account was briefly deleted on July 24, before becoming available again. A screenshot of the post appeared in a July 23, 2025, post on X…

Does a viral video on social media show Gazans who are fleeing Palestine arriving in Sweden? No, that's not true: The Ruahel Charity Association soccer team shown in the video represents various cities in the West Bank, not Gaza. The video shows players and coaches on a plane as part of a multi-city tour of Europe in July and August…

Does a viral photo authentically show Beyonce wearing a tank top with a Star of David while having an Israeli flag draped over her arms? No, that's not true: The image has been digitally manipulated based on an older original. The original picture shows no such tank top and shows red, white and blue tassels hanging from the singer's arms.…