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Fact Check: Viral Video of Israeli Soldiers Burning a US Flag Is AI-Generated

The viral clip purporting to show Israeli soldiers burning a US flag is almost certainly AI-generated. Analysts found an apparent Sora watermark hidden under a skull emoji, a TikTok upload labeled as AI, and visual glitches: the flag remains undamaged despite being alight, the flames split and rejoin unnaturally, and a figure's hands appear anatomically incorrect. These signs strongly suggest the footage is fabricated.

Fact Check: Viral Video of Israeli Soldiers Burning a US Flag Is AI-Generated

A widely shared clip that appears to show Israeli soldiers setting an American flag on fire is not an authentic recording of a real event. Close examination of the footage reveals multiple visual anomalies typical of AI-generated video, and the earliest available upload of the clip appears to have been labeled as AI content.

America First? Meanwhile, a group of Israeli soldiers are literally celebrating while an American flag burns. Nothing exposes the hypocrisy faster than this moment.

The claim circulated on X on November 25, 2025, alongside a short video. A reverse-image search traced the earliest accessible version to a TikTok upload where the uploader identified the clip as AI-generated. Observers also noticed what looked like a watermark from the AI tool Sora that had been obscured with a skull emoji.

Why experts say the video is fabricated

  • Unrealistic flag behavior: Although the footage shows the flag exposed to flame, the fabric remains largely intact in the final frames with almost no charring or deformation — inconsistent with real combustion.
  • Fire glitches: The flames behave unnaturally, splitting into two distinct fireballs and then rejoining a moment later. Real fire from a single source does not typically behave this way.
  • Anatomical errors: The hands of the person holding a firearm are misshapen and anatomically incorrect, a common failure mode in AI-generated visuals.
  • Watermark manipulation: Evidence suggests an AI watermark was covered by an emoji; this is often a sign the creator attempted to conceal the clip’s synthetic origin.

Taken together, the watermark evidence, the flag and flame inconsistencies, and distorted anatomy strongly indicate the clip is AI-generated rather than documentary proof of soldiers burning an American flag. No independent reporting or credible eyewitness documentation has corroborated the event depicted in the video.

Bottom line: The viral clip claiming Israeli soldiers burned a US flag is almost certainly fabricated. Treat the video with skepticism and rely on verified reporting before accepting such claims as true.

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