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Fires in Israel--Truth or fake news?

Some have questioned the validity of the videos of the fires in Israel that I posted this past week. The “Fact-checkers” site claims that some of the videos were from old footage, and others were altered. I decided last night to “sleep on it” and get a fresh perspective this morning.

Perhaps the main question that I had was the fact that the mainstream media seemed to be largely ignoring the fires. I don’t watch much mainstream media, so maybe I just missed it, but it seemed to me that this ought to be big news around the world, especially in such a pro-Zionist country like America. I would think that perhaps the Israelis would want to appeal for more funding, and widespread fires like this would provide an effective platform for such revenue.

So I have been surprised at the near total silence in the mainstream media, even if alternative media shows many videos about the fires. So this has caused me to question the validity of these fires and to dig deeper into it.

First of all, the “Fact-checkers” only sought to prove that some of the fires were old footage or altered. On that basis, they call it “fake news.” But news organizations always have old footage on file and very often use it in more recent broadcasts. They should not do this, of course, but they do. Secondly, enhancing some of the videos does not necessarily mean that the fires are not raging today as well. Video creators might be exaggerating the situation in order to get more clicks on their U-Tube videos in order to thereby create more revenue for themselves. But an exaggeration or enhancement is not the same as fake news. Both could be happening at the same time.

This morning I went to ChatGPT (an AI site where I am subscribed) and asked it:

“There are some news and video reports of huge fires in Israel. Are these reports true or is this an exaggeration or even fake news?”

The answer was this:

“Yes, reports of large fires in Israel are accurate and well-documented. In late April and early May 2025, Israel experienced some of the most severe wildfires in its history, primarily around Jerusalem and the West Bank.”

Pictures were provided. Notably, some of these fires had also burned in the West Bank (Palestine). I had suspected this, but none of the previous videos had suggested this.

AI continued with more details:

Overview of the Wildfires

• Scope and Impact: Over 100 wildfires erupted across the Judaean Mountains, burning more than 25,000 dunams (approximately 6,170 acres) of land. These fires led to the evacuation of over 10,000 residents and caused at least 45 injuries.
• Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2JNS.org+2
• Affected Areas: Communities such as Neve Shalom, Beko’a, Ta’oz, Mevo Horon, Mishmar Ayalon, and Nahshon were evacuated. Major highways, including those connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, were temporarily closed due to the advancing flames. Wikipedia+1Wikipedia+1Reuters
• Emergency Response: Israel declared a national emergency, deploying over 160 firefighting teams and 12 aircraft. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) assisted in firefighting efforts, and international aid was requested from countries like Greece, Italy, and France.
• Causes: The fires were fueled by extreme heat, strong winds, and dry conditions. While some blazes are believed to have been accidental, authorities are investigating potential arson in certain cases. YouTube+1The Times of Israel+1

Recent Developments

As of mid-May 2025, new fires have broken out near Jerusalem, notably in the Haruvit Forest, exacerbated by a heatwave with temperatures soaring 15°C above average. Firefighters are actively working to contain these blazes, and the public has been advised to avoid affected areas. The Times of Israel

Visual Documentation

For a visual perspective on the extent of the wildfires, you may find the following video informative:

This drone footage captures the scale of the devastation caused by the fires.YouTube

In summary, the reports of significant fires in Israel are substantiated by multiple credible sources, and the situation has prompted both national and international responses to manage the crisis. [End of quote]

OK, but this raised the question about AI’s sources. Were they merely accepting what was written without real analysis of its veracity? So I asked it to provide me with mainstream news accounts in America about the fires. Here is what AI provided:

NBC

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/News/video/firefighters-battle-wildfire-israel-121348866?utm_source=chatgpt.com

CBS

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-fires-wildfires-near-jerusalem-national-emergency-netanyahu/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

There are very few reports about the fires in our mainstream media, but they do exist. Both NBC and CBS news have reported on it. I don’t trust either source when it comes to political news, but I can’t think of any reason they might report fake news about the fires in Israel. I still find it a bit odd that there would be so few reports and very little followup. (Perhaps what I think is newsworthy differs from what they think is newsworthy.) Whatever the case, at least two mainstream media outlets have reported on the fires and have included details which no doubt came from their own news correspondents.

So that is where it stands at the moment. I leave it to you, the reader, to believe what you will. I cannot say either way with absolute certainty, but I think the fires are real, even if some reports in the alternative media may have exaggerated or enhanced their videos.