Israel Screens Graphic Footage to Counter Massacre Denialism

Latest Developments

Israel held a media screening on October 23 of as-yet unpublished footage from the October 7 Hamas massacre in its southern communities, hoping to push back against those who would deny, downplay, or justify the horrors.

The 43-minute-long compilation of GoPro, dashcam, and CCTV footage was aired at a venue near Tel Aviv for journalists who attended on condition they would not bring cellphones into the auditorium — a precaution against the material’s dissemination more widely.

Eylon Levy, an Israeli government spokesperson, said on X that the unprecedented event was held because “people are casting doubt on the magnitude of the atrocities that Hamas committed against our people and, in fact, recorded in order to glorify that violence.”

One of the journalists who attended, Melissa Weiss of Jewish Insider, recounted how “the sounds and video of gunshots and unedited murder were punctuated by gasps and sobs from grown adults” in the audience. “I have never had an experience like that,” she added.

Expert Analysis

“It has come to this: A country that just suffered the second-worst terrorist attack in modern history, and that is still counting its dead even as it tries to defend multiple fronts, feels compelled to reopen its own wounds in order to retain international sympathy. The Israelis deserve some credit, at least, for not showing the entire world the full gamut of the gore — a tactic the Palestinians have traditionally employed without compunction.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO

“Hamas terrorists recorded hours and hours of footage of carnage and brutality perpetrated against Israeli civilians. The terrorists then gleefully shared the footage widely on social media. Despite the documented atrocities, and the IDF’s concerted efforts to allow reporters access to the scenes of the slaughter, some still deny that these massacres occurred. This denial is disinformation akin to Holocaust denial, and those promoting this narrative should be held accountable.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network

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