Activists on board Marmara
Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit
Satiric flotilla clip distributed by GPO
(Video) Israel's press office mistakenly sends parody of Gaza aid vessel to journalists worldwide, then apologizes
BERLIN – The Government Press Office mistakenly sent a satiric clip making light of the Gaza-bound aid flotilla
to foreign reporters, Der Spiegel reported Saturday.
An apology was quick to follow, along with a clarification that the clip does not represent Israel's official stance.
'We Con the World'
A million people have already clicked on 'Flotilla Choir presents: We Con the World' in the two days it has been on the air. It was created by the Latma group, which uploads parody clips onto its website on a regular basis.
Actors posing as passengers on the flotilla to Gaza sing the song, based on the music of 'We Are the World', written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.
The clip was sent by the GPO over the weekend to emails belonging to a number of journalists around the world. BNO, Holland's news agency, reported receiving the clip as an official message from Israel.
But the journalists were not laughing. Der Spiegel's byline says the clip makes light of the flotilla and that sending it was "an embarrassing propaganda mistake".
But just 20 minutes after the email was sent, another followed saying, "Today we mistakenly sent a link to a video clip we have, which was meant for personal use and not for wider distribution.
"The film's content is not in any way the official stance of the State of Israel, its press office, or any other official authority," Der Spiegel reported the email as saying.
