Claims that Israeli “settlers” were surrounding homes in the Arab village of Qusra in Samaria have been circulating on Arab social media recently, accompanied by photos taken from inside one of the homes. The posts claimed that the images showed the view from “homes under siege by settlers.”
However, drone footage filmed over the area shows a different reality: the home in question and its surroundings are empty of Israelis, with no gathering and no one surrounding the building.
Moreover, the footage shows media crews arriving at the scene to cover the claims and approaching, without obstruction, the home where an American flag is flying. No Israelis can be seen around the home at the time the drone footage was recorded.
Israel Ganz, Governor of the Binyamin Regional Council and Chairman of the Yesha Council, responded:
“This is exactly how a blood libel against the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria is manufactured: a lie is spread about ‘settlers laying siege to a home,’ cameras and journalists are summoned, and then footage from the scene reveals that no one is there.
There is no siege and there are no settlers. What we have is a coordinated fabrication intended to generate images and headlines against the State of Israel. These lies quickly become headlines around the world, international actors fall for them, and the entire State of Israel pays the price. This time, the cameras caught the lie in real time.”
Questions & Answers
What was claimed about the village of Qusra?
Posts circulating on Arab social media claimed that Israeli “settlers” were surrounding homes in the Arab village of Qusra in Samaria. The posts included photos taken from inside one of the homes and claimed they showed the view from “homes under siege by settlers.”
What does the drone footage show?
Drone footage filmed over the area shows the home in question and its surroundings empty of Israelis, with no gathering and no one surrounding the building. No Israelis can be seen around the home at the time the footage was recorded.
What did the media crews do when they arrived at the scene?
The footage shows media crews arriving to cover the claims and approaching, without obstruction, the home where an American flag is flying.
How did Israel Ganz respond to the claims?
Israel Ganz, Governor of the Binyamin Regional Council and Chairman of the Yesha Council, described the incident as a “coordinated fabrication” intended to generate images and headlines against the State of Israel. He said the footage showed that there was no siege and no settlers surrounding the home.