What was claimed
A billboard paid for by the Israeli-American Council read: "Ceasefires are anti-Semitic."
Our verdict
False. The text has been digitally altered and the original words read: "Be human. Stand for Israel."
AAP FACTCHECK - A billboard paid for by the Israeli-American Council did not say “ceasefires are anti-Semitic”, despite a fake photo being widely shared online.
The text visible on the electronic sign has been digitally altered.
Versions of the doctored image have been appearing for several months, but have started going viral again following the recent pause in fighting in Gaza.
An image recently shared in a Facebook post shows two electronic billboards displaying the Israeli flag.
One of the billboards has the slogan “BE HUMAN. STAND FOR ISRAEL” while the second reads: “CEASEFIRES ARE ANTI-SEMITIC.”
Small print underneath the slogans reads: “PAID FOR BY THE ISRAELI AMERICAN COUNCIL.”
However, the lower billboard in the photo has been digitally altered. Originally it also read: “BE HUMAN. STAND FOR ISRAEL.”
The genuine photo was taken at a rally in New York’s Times Square on October 19, 2023, organised by the Israeli-American Council to call for the release of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 of that year.
The unaltered photo, with the identical background and surrounding buildings, can be seen in a Facebook post on the Consulate General of Israel in New York's page.
A reverse image search also shows the original photo on some social media posts from October 2023.
Live footage of the rally posted by the Israeli-American Council (18 minutes 11 seconds) clearly shows the unaltered signs, as does a New York Post video of the event (00:12).
The doctored photo has been doing the rounds since at least October 24, 2023, but has resurfaced following the recent ceasefire announcement.
The image is also being shared by Australian social media users amid a rise in anti-Semitic incidents and vandalism, including an attack on a childcare centre in Sydney and, more recently, a suspected plot involving a caravan full of explosives.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced on January 15, 2025, in an attempt to end the fighting triggered by the 2023 Hamas attack.
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