An Islamophobic account based in New York wrote a lengthy post to abuse Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair and used worst kind of slurs targeting his religious identity
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Prominent fact-checker and Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair has become a target of Israeli officials and their supporters as he busted a fabricated report being peddled to demonise the Palestinians.
Several official X accounts of Israelis and their supporters shared a video claiming that Palestinians are putting out a video of a doll to show child casualty in Gaza. But an Alt News report by Mohammed Zubair and Shinjenee Mazumdar found that the video of a 4-year-old baby killed in the Israeli airstrike was real.
Earlier too, Zubair had busted other contrived reports being peddled to malign the Palestinians. Following these fact-checks, an Israeli official posted in India accused Zubair of spreading hatred.
“If you REALLY consider yourself a fact-checker go to Israel,” said Kobbi Shoshani, who described himself as consular general of Israel in the Midwest India, while posting a screenshot of Zubair X profile.
Responding to his post, Zubair said: “Hello Mr@KobbiShoshani, My timeline is a collection of fact-checks, about the ongoing war and more. Unfortunately in your tweet, You have failed to point out any shortcomings in my fact-checks. Meanwhile, the official handle of @Israel, Official Handle of Ambassador of Israel in France @IsraelenFrance, Official handle of Ambassador of Israel in Austria @IsraelinAustria & self-proclaimed fact-checking organisation @IsraelWarRoom have shared yet another piece of misinformation on Slain Gaza Child. Here is @AltNewsdebunking their false claim”.
Controversial filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri also supported Shoshani while calling Zubair and others as “terror sympathisers”.
An Islamophobic account based in New York wrote a lengthy post to abuse Zubair and used worst kind of slurs targeting his religious identity. The account named Amy Mek also abused Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the same post.
Hindutva supporters including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tejinder Singh Bagga have also targeted Zubair and inciting Israeli officials to call on their agencies to act against him.
“Indian Right Wing under Kobbi’s tweet targeting me,” posted Zubair.
However, some social media users have slammed the Israeli official for vilifying Zubair.
“Calling out fake news is what @zoo_bear and @AltNews have been doing. It must be hurting you that @zoo_bear is calling out fake news put out by Israel and ppl sympathetic to Israel, thus sabotaging all attempts by Israel to win the propaganda war. Deal with it,” tweeted journalist R. Prasad.
In his another post, Prasad said: “When Western media outlets sincerely parrot your lies and help amplify your propaganda, it must be hurting you that @zoo_bear and @AltNews, who are funded by Indian citizens, are calling out your lies, fake news and propaganda Not every journalist and influencer can be bought”.
Responding to Shoshani’s post, prominent journalist Hartosh Singh Bal said: “A state’s lies gets magnified through shameful tweets such as this by the israeli consul general in Mumbai. backed by the fake news factory of the Indian right wing, he summons up baseless innuendo against the few in India who do separate the facts from the fake”.
Journalist Vivek Mukherji asked Shoshini not to spread fake news. “Counsel General @KobbiShoshani don’t propagate fake news and Islamophobia. You are unfit to hold a diplomatic position. Your lies will be called out,” said Mukherji.
