Pages and accounts on social media circulated a statement attributed to the Israeli Defense Minister, claiming that he had called on Syrians to begin learning Hebrew on the grounds that his forces' stay would be long and that they should improve communication with his soldiers.
The fact-checking team traced the circulating content, including a review of the official statements issued by the Israeli Defense Minister, a search of government websites and credible media, and a keyword search related to the alleged statement. No record or credible source was found documenting that this statement had been made. It also emerged that the page that published the claim is known for promoting misleading news and undocumented claims.
Why is this claim false?
Fabricated statements: A statement that was never made was attributed to the Israeli Defense Minister without any official or credible source, in order to stir public opinion and provoke feelings of humiliation.
