By: Arron Williams
October 17 2023
No, the Las Vegas Sphere did not project the Israeli flag
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Source: Facebook
Fact-Check
The Verdict False
The video creator confirmed that the video is fake and was created with visual effects. The Sphere did not project the Israeli flag.
Claim ID f31b1e3a
Context
On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched a surprise attack from the Gaza Strip into surrounding Israeli communities, killing residents and tourists. In response to the attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the country was now at war with Hamas and conducted multiple airstrikes in Gaza. According to the Associated Press, on October 16, the death toll passed 4,000, thousands have been wounded on both sides, and more than 423,000 Gazans have been displaced.
Misinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war has swept across social media. One claim, shared on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), shows a photo of the Las Vegas Sphere projecting the Israeli flag. A caption on Facebook reads, “The sphere in Las Vegas is now lighting up the Israeli flag in support of Israel.”
However, the Las Vegas Sphere did not project the Israeli flag and the image has been digitally altered.
In fact
The official Las Vegas Sphere X account addressed the claims, stating, “This image was photoshopped.” This announcement confirms that Sphere did not “light up” or project the Israeli flag.
The origin of the altered image can be traced back to a social media user called “Tallywood” on X and Instagram. In a post on X, he addressed the altered video and stated, “I posted a VFX video of an Israeli flag on a ball. I was trying to raise awareness of what is goin on in my country - I wntd 2create NOISE and be heard. But I always said VFX.“
He also replied to comments on X, further reiterating that the video is fake.
Tallywood's Instagram post also confirms the video is fake, with a caption stating, “VFX Curation with me and a friend. Not real.” and was updated to further say “AGAIN. UPDATED. NOT A REAL VIDEO.”
It has been confirmed that the video was made with visual effects, often called VFX, to alter the Sphere so that it showed the Israel flag, as confirmed by the video’s creator.
The verdict
The Las Vegas Sphere did not project the Israeli flag to show support for Israel. The creator of the video has confirmed it was created using visual effects. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.
