Realistic fantasy: Israel’s 3D propaganda

Israel introduced a new form of propaganda in its war in Gaza that relied heavily on 3D images combined with real drone footage. An investigation by Swiss public television SRF found the images are intended to look real but key elements were entirely fabricated. For the past two years the world has seen 3D images of hospitals and residential buildings, under which a Hamas command center or a Hezbollah weapons depot is supposed to be located. + The original investigation on Swiss public television, SRF, can be found here. Israeli army graphic designers produced these videos with the aim of justifying military attacks. They spread worldwide – adopted by numerous social media channels, TV stations and news agencies. Although the 3D animations are correctly labeled as “illustrations”, they also give the impression of being factual and authentic. They have become deeply engrained in the collective memory. New research now shows that many of the 3D elements depicted are not based on ...