Fake Photos Of Burj Khalifa Showing The Israeli Flag Have Been Called Out By An Official Fact-Checking Site

This one doctored image of the Burj Khalifa had recently taken social media by STORM and we’re here to confirm that the pictures are as fake as one can get.

The photoshopped pictures of Burj Khalifa illuminated with the Israeli flag were widely shared on social media platforms right after the historic peace treaty was signed between the UAE and Israel on August 13, 2020, which was brokered by President Trump.

Burj Khalifa, the tallest skyscraper in the world, is known to project the colours of various flags when it stands in solidarity with the respective country during its tribulations or triumphs. Thus, netizens saw it fit to photoshop the Israeli flag on the iconic skyscraper and fool the world with the doctored hype.

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AFP Fact Check put the rumours to rest by running reverse image searches on Google to confirm the inauthenticity of the pictures

AFP Fact Check tracked down the very first photo shared on Facebook on August 15, 2020, with an Indonesian-language caption reading:

“The flag of Israel on Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), New Era in the Peaceful History in the Middle East has begun.”

The same photo was then picked up and widely shared by SEVERAL other unaware social media users

#BurjKhalifa.. lit up with the colours of the … Burj khalifa #israel flag🇰🇼🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/94Ljbv8WUe

— Adi (@AfzalAnokhi) August 16, 2020

Though the picture stirred up quite a hornets’ nest, the response was mostly positive with many applauding the UAE’s efforts towards peace

https://twitter.com/VictorCAbugu1/status/1295387990748008448

Burj Khalifa (The tallest building in the world) lit with Isreali Flag after UAE and Israel signed a peace and recognition treaty. Thank you President Donald J. Trump for brokering this, it is the deal of the year. pic.twitter.com/fcDQEWqNMj

— Victor O. Otobo (@Victor_Otobo) August 15, 2020

A reverse image search found a picture from the official Twitter account of the Dubai Government Media Office on May 12, 2020, which AFP Fact Check then compared to the misleading image

“The World’s Tallest Donation Box at the Burj Khalifa hits the 1.2 million-light mark, achieving its target of collecting 1.2 million meals to support the #10MillionMeal initiative in a week, thanks to individuals of more than 110 nationalities.”

The World's Tallest Donation Box at the Burj Khalifa hits the 1.2 million-light mark, achieving its target of collecting 1.2 million meals to support the #10MillionMeal initiative in a week, thanks to individuals of more than 110 nationalities. pic.twitter.com/vzOYau7S8Y

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) May 11, 2020

AFP Fact Check highlighted the identical features in the screenshots below:

Doctored image (L) and the Dubai Government Media Office’s photo (R).

Although this particular image turned out to be FAKE, Dubai peeps are proud to say that they live in a country where the government always offers its support & solidarity to all nations, in order to maintain peaceful and friendly bilateral relations.

(Photoshopped) but if anything happened to 'Israel' The Arabs would light up the Burj like this in Solidarity…. pic.twitter.com/cq7nW55rdr

— Kash 🇵🇸 (@AkhKash) August 16, 2020