A video circulating on social media claiming to show panicked travelers attempting to leave Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport amid fears of an Iranian missile attack has been debunked. The footage actually depicts a brawl that occurred at a cinema in Jerusalem in July 2025.
Origin of the Viral Claim
The video, accompanied by the caption “There are conflicts now at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv,” quickly gained traction online as tensions rose in the Middle East. However, a reverse image search revealed the video’s true origins.
Fact Check Reveals True Source
The video was initially uploaded to X (formerly Twitter) by Ynet’s handle on July 20, 2025, with a caption stating a “mass brawl broke out tonight at Cinema City in Jerusalem between dozens of Jewish youths and Arab employees of the movie theater chain’s snack bar.”
Further investigation led to reports from Israeli media outlet The Times of Israel, which detailed the incident as “an anti-Arab riot” where dozens of youths attacked workers for refusing to reopen a refreshment kiosk after closing time. A video report on the Times of India’s YouTube channel also documented the event, describing it as Israeli Jews ransacking a movie theatre and chanting “DEATH TO ARABS.”
Current Situation at Ben Gurion Airport
While Israel temporarily closed its airspace and international airlines suspended flights to the region due to ongoing conflict, some Israeli airlines have resumed flights under heightened security. Flights were briefly halted again on March 18 after debris from Iranian missile fire landed near Ben Gurion International Airport, though the timing of the incident was not specified.
Therefore, the circulating video does not depict recent events at Ben Gurion Airport. It originates from a July 2025 incident at a cinema in Jerusalem involving a dispute over a closed food kiosk.
Discover more from Archyworldys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
