{"id":115441,"date":"2021-05-29T16:29:19","date_gmt":"2021-05-29T16:29:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/?p=115441"},"modified":"2021-05-29T16:29:19","modified_gmt":"2021-05-29T16:29:19","slug":"fact-check-meme-miscaptions-image-from-beirut-port-explosion-as-part-of-conflict-in-middle-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/business\/fact-check-meme-miscaptions-image-from-beirut-port-explosion-as-part-of-conflict-in-middle-east\/","title":{"rendered":"Fact check: Meme miscaptions image from Beirut port explosion as part of conflict in Middle East"},"content":{"rendered":"

The claim: The Middle East was at peace under Trump and a war zone under Biden\u00a0<\/h2>\n

After 11 days of deadly conflict, Israel and Hamas began a cease-fire on May 21. As leaders work toward peace on the ground, adversaries used the occasion to criticize the Biden administration.<\/p>\n

One\u00a0widely-shared meme uses a photo of a Trump administration diplomatic event alongside a photo of\u00a0an apparent warzone to compare the state of the Middle East during the Trump and Biden administrations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was 240 days ago,\u201d the meme\u00a0captions the top photo. The bottom photo is captioned, \u201cTHIS IS NOW\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The top photo shows President Donald Trump smiling at a signing ceremony with leaders from several Middle Eastern countries. The bottom photo shows what appears to be a devastating scene with smoke in the air and debris littering the ground.<\/p>\n

The logo for “Ridin’ with Biden,” a popular online group for\u00a0Biden supporters,\u00a0appears on the bottom image.\u00a0The meme does not specify whether it was referring to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians or conflict in the Middle East\u00a0in general.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fact check: <\/strong>Photo shows Palestinian couple at site of their old home, not related to recent conflict<\/span><\/p>\n

USA TODAY reached out to several Facebook users that posted the meme for comment. Facebook user Georgia Michael responded that she posted the meme “to highlight differences between Trump & Biden & how it relates to conflict in the Middle East.”<\/p>\n

But the photos in the meme do not show recent events, and the second image isn’t a warzone at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Top photo: Trump with leaders from Israel, UAE and Bahrain<\/h2>\n

The photo of Trump was taken on Sept. 15, at the White House with leaders from Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. The image was taken by White House photographer Tia Dufour and is available on Getty Images.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump welcomes Israel's Prime Minister and the foreign ministers of two Gulf Arab nations – the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – to the White House Tuesday to sign a historic diplomatic deal. (Sept. 15)<\/p>\n

AP Domestic<\/span><\/p>\n

Fact check: <\/strong>Photo of Palestinian child in tears not from recent Israeli airstrikes<\/span><\/p>\n

At the signing ceremony, the leaders agreed to the \u201cnormalization of relations\u201d between Israel, UAE and Bahrain. The agreement\u00a0was a major geopolitical shift in the Middle East in which UAE and Bahrain formalized diplomatic relations with Israel. Historically, many Arab nations in the region had avoided such agreements as a way to show their support for Palestinian statehood.<\/p>\n

It is unclear if the meme’s creator misinterpreted one of the flags behind the four leaders. The UAE and Palestinian flags have\u00a0nearly the same colors and patterns.<\/p>\n

Bottom photo:\u00a0the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion<\/h2>\n

The bottom photo used to criticize Biden was actually taken more than a month before the first. The image, available on Getty Images,\u00a0captures the aftermath of a tragic explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.\u00a0Lebanese photographer Marwan Tahtah took the photograph on Aug. 4 after a deadly explosion devasted the city.<\/p>\n

At the time, Trump was still in office.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Explosion in Beirut, Lebanon (Photo: Google Earth; USA TODAY)<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Lebanese officials, the explosion likely occurred when a fire ignited 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored at the port since 2013. The blast that killed at least 160 people and injured thousands led to international accusations of negligence and corruption. Less than a week after the explosion, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab and his cabinet resigned.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Following the explosion, USA TODAY debunked the false claim that the blast was caused by an Israeli attack.<\/p>\n

Our rating: False\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Based on our research, we rate this meme FALSE. The image presented as proof of peace in the Middle East under Trump does not involve the Palestinians. And the image used to reference the\u00a0recent conflict in the Middle East was actually taken in Bierut\u00a0after a port explosion in August. The image predates the one used to reference the Trump administration’s foreign policy and doesn’t relate to Biden or his presidency in any way.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Our fact-check sources:<\/h2>\n