China has repeatedly known as for peace talks to resolve the Gaza battle, sparked by an unprecedented Hamas assault in October 2023 to which Israel retaliated with a blistering assault on the Palestinian territory. However a video purportedly exhibiting China’s Overseas Minister Wang Yi ready for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to provoke a handshake has been edited — the unique footage from their assembly in December 2013 exhibits Wang was listening to a translator. There isn’t any official file of the officers assembly for the reason that outbreak of the Gaza battle.
The 41-second clip of the 2 officers apparently in a standoff over who would provoke a handshake was shared on Weibo on October 26, 2024.
Wang seems to look away from Netanyahu after the 2 nod at one another a number of instances. The clip ends with the Israeli chief ultimately reaching out to shake Wang’s hand.
“Authority from a superpower nation, I will not stretch out my hand when you do not stretch yours first,” learn the simplified Chinese language textual content overlaid on the video.
“Wang Yi’s handshake with Netanyahu is just too humorous,” learn the simplified Chinese language caption.
Screenshot of the false Weibo put up, captured on December 11, 2024
The identical video was additionally shared with an analogous declare elsewhere on social media, together with X and TikTok.
Wang is amongst outstanding Chinese language diplomats who interact in “Wolf Warrior” diplomacy, taking a extra confrontational stance in opposition to different Western international locations — an method inspired by Chinese language President Xi Jinping (archived hyperlink).
China has been historically sympathetic of the Palestinian trigger and Beijing has repeatedly known as for peace talks to resolve the disaster in Gaza (archived hyperlink).
In an October 14 cellphone name, Wang advised his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz that “humanitarian disasters” in Gaza ought to finish and known as for an “quick, full and everlasting ceasefire in Gaza and the discharge of all hostages”, state media reported (archived hyperlink).
Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault on southern Israel resulted within the deaths of 1,208 folks, principally civilians, in keeping with an AFP tally based mostly on official figures. That depend contains hostages who died or have been killed whereas being held in Gaza (archived hyperlink).
Militants kidnapped 251 hostages, 96 of whom stay in Gaza, together with 34 the Israeli army says are lifeless.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed no less than 44,805 folks, a majority of them civilians, in keeping with knowledge from the Hamas-run well being ministry that’s thought of dependable by the United Nations.
Nevertheless, in keeping with a log of Wang’s actions posted to the Chinese language Overseas Ministry’s official web site, the minister has not met with Netanyahu since October 2023 (archived hyperlink).
Misleadingly edited clip
A reverse picture search and subsequent key phrase search discovered the clip corresponds to footage of Wang and Netanyahu’s statements forward of their assembly, uploaded by the Israeli Prime Minister’s official YouTube channel on December 19, 2013 (archived hyperlink).
The longer video opens with the 2 males shaking fingers warmly, earlier than shifting to face behind separate podiums. Netanyahu then welcomes Wang to Jerusalem, after which he asks if a translation was wanted.
The edited footage has eliminated the audio of Netanyahu talking and spliced collectively clips of Wang listening to the interpretation to make it seem as if the 2 males have been in a standoff.
Beneath is a screenshot comparability of the falsely shared clip (left) and the footage uploaded by the Israeli Prime Minister’s YouTube channel (proper):
Wang and Netanyahu shake fingers once more on the finish of the Israeli prime minister’s speech, which might be seen on the 6:29 mark of the YouTube video.
Wang then mentioned he was very blissful to be visiting Israel for the primary time as international minister.
“Lots of my colleagues advised me, that after they visited Israel, they’d fall in love with this nation. The purpose of my go to this time is to search out that secret to that,” Wang continued.
He additionally highlighted the “profound and conventional friendship” between the folks of China and Israel.
Comparable footage of the assembly between the 2 officers may also be seen on The Related Press archives YouTube channel, which acknowledged the assembly happened on December 18, 2013 (archived hyperlink).
