AAP FACTCHECK – Forty-seven per cent of people polled by an Israeli TV station agree that a soldier should be allowed to rape a prisoner, social media posts claim.
This is false. An image of a News 12 poll has been digitally manipulated. The actual 2022 poll referred to an unrelated question.
Various social media posts feature a still image from a News 12 broadcast in which a presenter is pictured revealing the results of a poll.
A blue box with Hebrew text has been added to the top right of the image. It translates as: “Do you agree with the claim that a soldier is allowed to rape a terrorist?”
The poll results are shown below, with 47 per cent for yes and 43 per cent for no.
“Wow, the majority said yes. And western government [sic] are supporting these monsters!”, one post’s caption reads, while another says: “Even thinking that conducting this poll is appropriate makes me sick.”
The poll can be traced back to a real segment from the Israeli news channel in May 2022 (one minute 50 seconds).
In the genuine broadcast footage, the question displayed reads: “Do you agree with the claim that the government relies on terrorist supporters?”
In the image shared on social media, the blue box overlays the screen, obscuring the original question, which appears along with the results on a screen behind the presenter.
The false claim and image follow reports of footage showing alleged sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
On Wednesday, August 7, the US State Department urged the IDF to fully investigate the allegations.
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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