A video showing a man and a woman tearing their garments is being shared online with the false claim that Jewish settlers were caught ripping their own clothes to stage an attack by Palestinians in the West Bank. In reality, the video shows ‘Kriah’, a traditional Jewish mourning ritual where clothes are torn as a sign of grief — not settlers faking an attack.
An influencer account @JeffreyxEpstein posted this video, alleging:
“Jewish settlers CAUGHT ripping their own clothes to fake an attack by Palestinians in the West Bank. The second they notice the camera, they panic.”
Jewish settlers CAUGHT ripping their own clothes to fake an attack by Palestinians in the West Bank.
— Jeff Epstein (@JeffreyxEpstein) September 22, 2025
The second they notice the camera, they panic. pic.twitter.com/0m68hDiy0t
Additionally, the same clip was earlier shared in March 2018 by a Facebook account named Sean Alam, where it was circulated with similar misleading claims. The intent behind these posts was to mislead viewers into believing that the settlers were fabricating an incident to blame Palestinians.
Truth: Viral Clip Shows Jewish Mourning Ritual ‘Kriah’, Not Staged Attack
As this claim gained traction on social media, it drew our attention. The D-Intent Data Team investigated using keyword analysis and credible media reports. Our investigation led us to a Times of Israel blog titled “Kriah: Tearing a Piece of Clothing as a Sign of Mourning”, which explains that Kriah is a Jewish mourning ritual performed upon the death of close relatives or designated individuals.
We also found a YouTube video by JewishPathways titled “How to tear kriyah upon the death of a relative”, which shows the same ritual being performed in a similar manner. Additionally, Shulchan Aruch Harav outlines various contexts in which Keriah is performed, including mourning and religious observances at sacred sites.
The same footage has been circulating since at least March 2018 and has been misused repeatedly to spread false narratives. There is no evidence to support the claim that this was a staged attack by Jewish settlers.
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— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) September 22, 2025
ANALYSIS: Fake
FACT: A video showing a man and a woman tearing their garments is being shared with the false claim that Jewish settlers were caught ripping their own clothes to stage an attack by Palestinians in the West Bank. This claim is completely fabricated. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/VXrlYbvoAq
Intent:
Propaganda accounts are circulating videos of individuals performing rituals, with self-invented claims to set their narrative.
Conclusion:
Claim: The video shows Jewish settlers faking an attack by Palestinians.
Fact: The video shows Kriah, a Jewish mourning ritual. It’s been misused since 2018.
