FAKED PHOTOGRAPHS, A CONSPIRACY THEORY a guest post by FoxFier

Posted on by Sarah A. Hoyt

FAKED PHOTOGRAPHS, A CONSPIRACY THEORY a guest post by FoxFier

A “conspiracy theory” mind you which has been confirmed for over a decade.  Almost two, actually.

When it was known as either “Reutersgate” or “The Adnan Hajj photograph conspiracy.”  Or more likely “Oh, wait, you mean when they had to be told that the really bad photoshop jobs were fake? Zombie Time has very nicely organized writeup that came up in the discussion, broken down into types of fraud– digital manipulation, staged events presented as spontaneous, photographer staged scenes, and inaccurate captioning of real photographs.)

Oops.

This came up because of trying to find the name of that photographer who admitted to carrying around a red tricycle and other brightly colored toys in his vehicle to help “give focus” to his photographs.  This was, per him, not considered Pallywood.  Which doesn’t exist, and is probably racist, and how dare anyone question things like how many people are supposedly killed in strikes that turned out to not happen.

Ignore a French journalist saying things like“Karsenty is so shocked that fake images were used and edited in Gaza, but this happens all the time everywhere on television and no TV journalist in the field or a film editor would be shocked. This has become more about him than anything else.” in a 2007 article.

Unfortunately, due to search engine “improvements,” I was only able to find mention of the planting-toys “conspiracy theory on right wing blogs” via an old New York Times article interviewing a photographer about the amazing popularity of Mickey Mouse toys in the middle of bombed streets in Lebanon. “It Was All Started by a Mouse (Part 1)”, Errol Morris, NYT archive for Jan 3, 2010. That’s mentioned in the Zombie Time article, at the bottom of section 3.  (Note, that would be Hezbollah, not Hamas; as best I can tell, Hezbollah does back Hamas, including publicly.)

I only found that mickey mouse article (in both meanings of the phrase) because of mention of a photographer, Abid Katib, who has amazing fortune in finding brightly colored shoes in dark places. (Being from nearly fifteen years ago, most of the links have died.)

This conversation came up, of course, because of the whole ops Hamas had paid reporters with them during the terror invasion revelation.

 Which brought up the church that’s been leveled twice, now, with major casualties, but is amazing (as of the last time I heard) still standing, or the “Israeli strike” on a hospital that set off secondary explosions on video…and turned out to be a Hamas rocket that fell short and blew up their parking lot, and oops not actually the mass casualty event reported, and it’s a well known Hamas command center anyways.  Which came up when the UN Secretary General threw a fit about reports Israel had targeted ambulances, and got called out for completely ignoring the systematic destruction and slaughter targeting Israeli emergency responders on October 7th.

Which brought up other claimed attacks, like the Red Cross Ambulance Bombing, and worse the debunked Human Rights Watch debunking of the same.

But, to get back around to the point… does anyone remember something about the guy who actually admitted to having the toys and packing them around?

Or have some really good examples of Pallywood?

92 thoughts on “FAKED PHOTOGRAPHS, A CONSPIRACY THEORY a guest post by FoxFier”

        1. Ah but are they?

          I suspect they’re real and introduced by our hidden overlords from Uranus to slowly accustom us to accept their appearance when they shed their democrat masks.

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          2. No one’s going to be juvenile?

            ok.

            So that’s why democrats turn cities they control into sh*holes – it reminds them of home.

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  2. Hey, Sarah, starting this morning I can’t post comments on your web site. When I click the ‘Reply’ button it turns gray, and then nothing happens. Ever. Even though it says I’m logged in.

    I had to post this on the WordPress site. WPDE!

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          2. Because WP is not run by a simple, straightforward death cult. Oh no, they don’t go traditional.

            So no genocidal tendencies, aren’t we lucky? No, we get Cthuloid madness inducing tics that appear ever so often without rhyme or reason, code that works sometimes when the planar alignment pleases Ftangh, the many noodled tentacular programmer thing that never puts the comments in.

            WPDE. We demand a better monster!

            Liked by 3 people

    2. You may have to click outside the login instructions. I have to type, click on my credentials, then click somewhere else for the Reply button to go live.

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    3. Same here. I type in the comments box at ATH and the Reply button goes gray and does nothing. I go to wordpress.com/me and use the comment box there, and it works.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. For me, the Replay button goes gray until I put in my user name and e-mail, then click outside those fields, then get to login with a password.

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        1. I don’t get user name and password fields. When I type in the text box, the ‘Reply’ button turns blue. When I click the ‘Reply’ button it turns light gray and then nothing happens. Ever.

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    2. A funny one from a decade or so ago: There was Israeli (drone) video of a funeral in the Palestinian territories (probably Gaza). The body of the deceased was carried through the streets full of wailing crowds. The bearers go around a corner and accidentally drop the body; the deceased gets up and gets back on his bier.

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  7. I liked the one showing the same dud missile hitting some kind of truck or van that was exactly the same across three or four different conflicts. That was great.

    Precision munitions are AMAZING!!!

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  8. There’s the destroyed Merkava tanks… which are actually mocked up replicas used for training by Hamas. And in at least one of the pictures, you can spot the wheels of the actual vehicle that the “tank” is built around peeking out at the bottom.

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  9. I don’t know if it is Pallywood or not (hilarious that we have to ask questions like this now) but I have seen today a video of a crowd of Arab people waving white flags -leaving- what was called a hospital in Gaza, then all running back inside because they were getting shot at. By Hamas.

    I will say that there are damn few pictures of Green Helmet Guy on DuckDuckGo right now. Which is certainly interesting, to say the least.

    In other news, it seems freelancers who provide photos etc. to Reuters, AP and NY Slimes were -present- during the “events” of Oct. 7th, and taking pictures of said “events”. And we know this because they are seen in photos, taking pictures, as “events” unfolded.

    https://honestreporting.com/photographers-without-borders-ap-reuters-pictures-of-hamas-atrocities-raise-ethical-questions/

    However in -good- news the IDF appears to have bombed the best, nicest, most upscale neighborhood in Gaza. Now, if that seems spiteful as some have certainly suggested, consider what it would take for a guy to live in the most upscale neighborhood in Gaza. Where would he get the money and political pull to swing that cushy crib? Hmm?

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      1. There’s an excellent Piers Morgan/Douglas Murray interview out today where Douglas Murray (while exposed to Hamas fire, btw) makes the distinction between the Nazis and Hamas.

        The Nazis taking part in the Holocaust knew what they were doing was wrong, and evil, but did it anyway for The Cause. They -suffered- for what they were doing, while they were doing it.

        Hamas, according to Murray who saw -all- the unedited footage only seen by reporters and government people, was gleeful. They -delighted- in what they were doing.

        Murray says the point of the Oct. 7th attack was to do the attack.

        They’ll wait for another opportunity and then do it again. And again, and again, and again, forever. Or until the socialists stop helping them.

        Who had “R’lyeh is Gaza” on their bingo card?

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            1. Not necessarily…

              The original plan for the Final Solution was to just shoot all of the Jews. But the high-ranking Nazi (Himmler, iirc) who was overseeing the initial round of firing squads had issues watching it. So they came up with the gas chambers instead, which conveniently kept the mass execution out of sight.

              Also, the general German populace was generally unaware (admittedly mostly due to willful blindness) of what was going on in the camps.

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    2. If you really want to get the leadership and money that finances and runs Hamas, you need to get the Hamas leadership in Qatar and the Mullahs of Iran. Anything less will just simply result in them financing others to pursue genocide of Jews.

      Note also how Team ObamaBiden is very quiet and not making demands or red lines with regards to releases of American’s held hostage, has said nothing critical of Qatar, and is actively trying to suppress and lie about Iran’s role. Team ObamaBiden is on the side of Hamas and Hamas’ backers.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. So are all the leaders in the socialist countries in Europe, because mass immigration has allowed the terrorists to enter their countries. Let’s face it Jews don’t commit terrorist attacks, but Islamist’s like the ones they let in do. It’s not an excuse for them, not by a long shot, it is ‘Cowardice’ plain and simple, their leaders are COWARDS, that and they do hate the Jews. Yes King Chucky in Britain, I am calling you a Cowardly Jew Hater.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. England has a very long history of persecuting Jews going back to King Edward I (a/k/a Edward the Longshanks) issuing an edict expelling all Jews. Of course we all know about Shakespeare’s depiction of Jews.

          The history of antipathy towards Jews was so lengthy and well known even into the 20th Century that the Nazis were surprised that the Brits didn’t join them in their pursuit of the “final solution”.

          This of course is now compounded by bringing in a large population that has the Jihadist view towards Jews as expressed by the Muslim Brotherhood, its offshoot Hamas, and all the other groups that call for “death to the Jews”.

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          1. If you’re talking about Shakespeare’s depiction of Shylock, he actually comes across as somewhat sympathetic. He’s nuanced enough that there are strong arguments that The Merchant of Venice is a subtle argument against anti-semitism.

            As for the modern UK…

            The British Home Secretary has been fired after publicly stating that the police were being too lenient against pro-Palestinian “protestors”.

            h/t Instapundit

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            1. Allowing them to continue breathing is all the ‘leniency’ they deserve. More than some of them deserve. Busting heads and throwing them in jail might serve as a valuable learning experience for the rest.

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      1. The highest levels of the organization apparently do, where they live off the billions that they’ve skimmed off of the “aid” sent to the Strip. And Mossad tries to figure out how to get to them without using Hellfire missiles.

        I suspect that last but just got a boost in resources.

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    4. I really think we need to send a bunch of copies of Kratman’s Carreraverse books to the Mossad.

      At least exerpts of the more interesting “gotchas”.

      Legionaries as “Pressies” whacking Jihadi leaders was fun.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Ace has a post, linked by Insty, about the “journalists” who participated in the 11/7 attacks, and the Israelis announcing they’re including them on their little list. Of note on the Ace post is Megan McArdle piping up for a doctrine of “Journalistic Immunity” with:

    “Megan McArdle @asymmetricinfo

    If a Hamas fighter who was giving me a ride on his operation handed me a grenade, I might not risk his anger by handing it back.”

    The consequences of a “journalist” holding a weapon while participating in an illegal attack on civilians is that they become an illegal enemy combatant subject to immediate summary execution under the laws of war.

    Perhaps, instead of the forty third lecture on intersectional colonial racist victimism, that is something they should have covered in J-school.

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Considering how far Israelis went to capture or whack Reich rats, I would not want to underwrite any policies for those presstitututes who did ride-alongs.

      (Louder) I said….Considering….

      Liked by 1 person

  11. The Democrats are the “Lie to me if you have to,” party.

    Heck, they’re the “Lie to me of you want to,” party.

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  12. Interestingly, Hamas isn’t the only country creating self-serving propaganda about what’s going on in Israel right now…

    TL,DW – As of when this video was posted (October 25), the PRC has completely abandoned its citizens that are in Israel. Everyone else is getting their people out (or has already gotten them out). But Mainland Chinese citizens who ask about evacuation get silence. Or are told to shush.

    Worse, a video was circulated of a young Chinese woman claiming to be in a bomb shelter in Jerusalem, and claiming that the embassy was still offering support for Chinese citizens, and that the Chinese airlines were still carrying people out of Israel. She was quickly exposed as someone using a Beijing IP address, and identified as a young woman who had been in Israel but since returned home, and had apparently been unsuccessfully looking for Chinese students willing to broadcast from an Israeli bomb shelter, and recite claims that the government was supporting the students.

    Of course, as I watched this, I suddenly remembered the crap that the US State Department put our own citizens through… until Gov. DeSantis stepped up and started offering flights for all of the US citizens still in the country (and iirc those that had already been evacuated to Greece, as well).

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  13. If a Hamas fighter who was giving me a ride on his operation handed me a grenade, I might not risk his anger by handing it back.” Mebbe so, but one would hope you wouldn’t take a picture of yourself holding said grenade. Not too smart.

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  15. IIRC 60 Minutes did a story on Pallywood several years ago that actually had decent coverage. I watched it on the tube of you years ago, no idea if it can still be found there. There was an article about the photos taken in the Crimean War where the photographer was moving cannonballs around to improve his photos as well. I don’t remember anything about someone bringing toys though

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      2. Almost all reporters are Democrats or vote for democrats, so of course they are lying degenerate scum sucking evil vile demons from hell.

        Liked by 1 person

  18. Before photoshop and all the neat electronic ways to fake photos/videos there was the art of “retouching” where photos could be produced from a negative and have features missing, added or even changed in the final product. A well known example is the Stalin photo that had some people in it dissapear when they fell out of favor.

    With careful darkroom manipulation sometimes even using several negatives (actual photos) a skillful photographer could produce amazing results. As a wee lad, I used to work in a darkroom and using fairly simple techniques I was able to “remove” from the final product that which detracted from the desired outcome. This goes back over a century you know. Many a newspaper photo was not “real” even if it was passed off as such from way back when.

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    1. Clear back to the invention of photography, in fact. All those “super tiny waist” photos have been manipulated, if you know the signs. Including those of the woman proven to have a tiny waist—because she was famous for it, and she had to keep ahead of all the other people manipulating their waists.

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    2. Yeah; way back when I was the series of photographs used to create a “photograph” of a watermelon the size of a Chevy Chevette.

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  19. Re: Israel allegedly targeting ambulances, there have been reports of Hamas using ambulances to transport military personnel and equipment, precisely because under the rules of war you’re not supposed to target ambulances. But the thing is, under those same rules if you transport military personnel or equipment in a vehicle, no matter how it’s marked, it’s a legitimate target. (AND you yourself are committing a war crime by disguising your military vehicle as a civilian one).

    So assuming those reports are accurate (and given the rest of Hamas’s behavior, I’d be surprised if they weren’t, but I have no actual knowledge)… what Israel is doing is not targeting ambulances. What Israel is doing is targeting military vehicles disguised as ambulances. Big, BIG difference there, and the UN Secretary General does NOT get a pass for failing to understand the Geneva Conventions.

    Liked by 2 people

      1. And that, all by itself, is an indictment of the UN Secretary General. Because if some random blogger and commenters know this stuff, he has no excuse. It’s literally his job to know this stuff, and he doesn’t.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Or possibly he does know, but it is merely too inconvenient for him to say.

          Stupidity before malice maybe, but there’s evidence of malice aplenty to go around.

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          2. I didn’t distinguish between “doesn’t know because he’s ignorant” and “doesn’t know because he doesn’t want to know” in this case, because for the UN Secretary General, ignorance is no excuse. If he’s ignorant, he’s failing to do his job. But I agree that it’s more likely that he doesn’t know on purpose, which makes him one of those who is helping Hamas by providing political cover.

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  20. Look at the ‘rescue’ photographs. Trust me – as a guy who had the devil of time cleaning his uniform after – and his face and hands – if the ‘rescuers’ don’t look filthy, bloody, exhausted, sweaty, it probably was staged.

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    2. This. And the “grieving family members” are all clean, tidy, and dust-free as they carry on. And the patient is often almost as clean. I’ve transported accident victims in air-evac. Even after the ER neatens them up, they still look rough. Unlike the “victims” in the Pallywood videos.

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    3. Everyone in the videos is too tidy and clean. The “grieving family members” are all tidy and have no dust or mussed hair. The “victims” are almost as clean and easily identifiable. I’ve transported motor-vehicle and other accident victims (air ambulance). Even after the ER cleaned them up somewhat, they still looked rough. Not like the people in the Pallywood production.

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  23. Outstanding post, Foxfier. I remembered seeing the stories about Mr Green hat and the al Durah fauxtography (to borrow Prof Jacobson’s term), but the reports from zombietime about the ambulance hoax were new to me — masterful pieces of forensic investigation!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Zombie was one of us who started at the Blog That Shall Not Be Named. She got going there, when we were pointing out the terrible clone-tool abuse done by an Al Reuters stringer to make Israel look bad, then shifted to covering street protests. Then she moved to PJM. Sort of like others who eventually got their own blogs, websites, and so on.

      Liked by 1 person

        1. She was active in Ace’s comments right up until the 2020 Election Day. Then she decided it was no longer safe to keep posting online. Apparently she was concerned that some of her geographical locals might figure out who she was. I’m guessing that she’s still in the Bay Area, given that she hasn’t reappeared online since.

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  25. Darn, kicked myself out of the comments.
    Saw a photo from a presumed Palestinian yesterday. The photo showed a pile of rubble, all gray except for touches of red. In the exact center of the foreground, framed by a slightly off-center black box, sit two gray teddy bears. The top half of the bears are soaked in red liquid.
    Caption: Gaza is bleeding while the world sleeps.
    I commented on Gazans being masters of propaganda re the staging of the photo. Figured Foxfier should get the credit.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Of note, though I have not yet seen it noted anywhere in US media:

    Tens of thousands march in Paris against antisemitism, including political parties

    And being from the place the whole much-distorted left-right political description thing started, it’s interesting who is there and who is “boycotting”:

    “Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally is marching, but the far-left party of Jean-Luc Melenchon, La France Insoumise, is boycotting the event, calling it a reunion of “friends of unconditional support for the massacre” of Palestinians in Gaza, as he describes it.”

    Liked by 1 person

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