Pages and accounts on social networking sites, especially in Arabic, circulated a post saying that the famous American magazine “Time” awarded the title of “Person of the Year” to a Palestinian man who appeared in a video clip eulogizing his granddaughter who was killed in an Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip.
But the magazine did not choose this man, who has become famous in recent days on social networking sites in the region and the world. Rather, it chose the American pop star Taylor Swift for her artistic achievements in the year 2023. This Palestinian man, nor other residents of the besieged Gaza Strip, were not among the list of finalists. .
The publications claim that “the famous Time magazine chose the person who used the word ‘spirit’ as Man of the Year.” These posts circulating on Twitter and Facebook added, “This great man has become a global icon.”
The leaflets were accompanied by a picture of the Palestinian grandfather who appeared in a video clip last November carrying the body of his granddaughter, saying, “This is the soul of the soul.” This clip received great sympathy on social media.
A snapshot of circulating posts
The appearance of this publication comes as Israeli military operations – including violent air strikes and ground battles – continue on the Gaza Strip since the Hamas attack on October 7, which – according to the Israeli authorities – resulted in the killing of 1,200 people, most of them civilians.
Since then, Israeli military operations in Gaza – according to the Hamas government’s Ministry of Health – have resulted in the killing of 17,997 people, about 70 percent of whom are women and children.
The truth about the post
But Time magazine did not choose this man to be “Person of the Year,” as the publications claimed.
On December 6, the magazine announced that it had chosen American pop star Taylor Swift as Person of the Year 2023, after the success achieved by her tour during the year.
The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Sam Jacobs, considered that “much of what (Taylor) Swift accomplished in 2023 is priceless,” noting that she “was committed to giving value to people’s dreams, feelings, and experiences, especially women who feel neglected and constantly underestimated,” according to what Reported by AFP journalists in New York.
“Time” magazine explained that Taylor Swift, who won the title to succeed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is “the first person from the artistic community to receive the title of Person of the Year for her success as an artist,” noting that the title is usually given to heads of state or giants of industry.
On Monday, “Time” published a list of the finalists, who are, in addition to Taylor Swift, the Russian and Chinese leaders Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, the British King Charles III, the head of the US Federal Reserve Jerome Powell, the president of “Open AI” Sam Altman, and the participants in the event. The Hollywood strike, and the prosecutors who brought charges against former President Donald Trump, in addition to the Barbie character, which was the focus of a movie that achieved significant revenues this year.
It is likely that this photo and others were initially published on Arab social media sites as a wish or just to support the Palestinians, before some users became confused and were re-published as real.
