Israel

Does a picture show a destroyed star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that was dedicated to actress Gal Gadot? No, that's not true: The image shows the star for President Donald Trump shortly after it was destroyed in 2018. As of this writing, there have been no news reports about Gadot's recently unveiled star being destroyed. An example of…

Did a man named "Arnold Bushman" light himself on fire to protest "Disney making the little mermaid black"? No, that's not true: A tweet from October 2024 with that claim was screenshotted and went viral again in early 2025. However the image in the post showed a man named Aaron Bushnell who immolated himself in February 2024 to protest the…

Was an AI video featuring a "Gaza 2025" caption published on Donald Trump's official social media accounts? Yes, that's true: The video showed buildings, shops and other items bearing "Trump Gaza" signs, bearded belly dancers, and figures appearing to be Elon Musk eating and being showered with banknotes, and with U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…

Did Tel Aviv University get $581 million from American taxpayers? No, that's not true: The school received less than $6 million in U.S. government funds, an official website shows. A nonprofit data expert told Lead Stories that most of the money reported in the school's tax return under "Contributions and grants" is "likely Israeli government funding." The claim appeared in…

Does an authentic photograph show President Donald Trump posing with Elon Musk and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inside the White House? No, this image is fake: An AI generated image detection tool determined with 98.7 percent likelihood that the image was generated by AI. There is no evidence all three men were together at the White House or in…

Did singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran perform for wounded soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces to show support for Israel? No, that's not true: Sheeran denied this rumor in a now-deleted Instagram story. He stated a charity organization bought tickets to his "large scale public concert." Other reputable entertainment media outlets also posted about Sheeran's denial of the rumor. The implied claim…

Does a viral post prove that the Minnesota governor and former running mate of Kamala Harris performed a Nazi salute in public? No, that's not true: The post took a single frame from a video out of context. As the recording proves, it was part of a longer movement, not a separate gesture. Walz put his hand in the air…

Does an authentic video show Taylor Swift saying that the 2025 Los Angeles fires are divine retribution for American actions in Gaza? No, that's not true: The original footage dates back to a 2021 appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." Analysis tools determined with 100 percent confidence that the voice added to the clip on social media is…

Do filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission prove the United States "owns" Canada? No, that's not true: The filings are standard procedure when a foreign country wants to sell securities in the United States. The Form 18-K is specifically "for Foreign Governments and Political Subdivisions." The United States has filed similar paperwork in the United Kingdom. The claim originated…

Did someone in Alaska capture video in early January 2025 showing military jets flying in formation alongside saucer-shaped UFOs? No, that's not true: The UFO video was originally posted on YouTube in October 2023 and the account it came from features computer-generated imagery sourced from video games and flight simulators. Although this video did not carry a specific disclaimer when…