FACT CHECK: Viral X Image Does Not Show Authentic Opinion Headline From The Guardian
A viral image shared on X purports to show an opinion piece headline published by the Guardian on diversity and inclusion in Palestine.
— Pugh Himple (@GBullstein) June 3, 2024
Verdict: False
The purported headline does not appear on the Guardian’s website or its verified social media accounts, and there is no other evidence supporting the claim. A spokesperson for The Guardian denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Four more hostages who were reportedly held by Hamas have been confirmed dead by the Israeli military, according to The Associated Press. About 80 hostages who were captured when the war started are still believed to be alive, the outlet reported.
The X post, which has been viewed over 100,000 times as of writing, purports to show an opinion piece headline published by the Guardian on diversity and inclusion in Palestine. “Diversity and inclusion is in the heart of all Palestinians. Gaza will one day host the world’s largest Pride parade,” the purported headline reads. According to the same image, the purported headline was authored by Owen Jones on June 2.
The claim is false, however. Check Your Fact conducted an advanced search of the Guardian’s website using the purported headline, which returned no results. Likewise, the purported headline is also not referenced on the U.K.-based outlet’s verified social media accounts.
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports suggesting the Guardian published the purported headline. Actually, the opposite is true. Snopes reported the claim was false via a June 3 article. According to the outlet, the purported headline is satirical in nature and pokes fun at Jones, who is known for identifying as LGBTQ+ and for supporting Palestine amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas War. (RELATED: Did Netanyahu Say Israeli Hostages Are In Egypt?)
A spokesperson for the Guardian denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“The screenshot shared is not and has never been an article or headline published by the Guardian,” the spokesperson said.
This is not the first time a false claim has circulated online. Check Your Fact previously debunked a social media post that purportedly shows Manchester City Soccer Manager Pep Guardiola ignoring an Israeli representative at a recent match.
