‘Israeli’ Woman Stunned After Being Listed as ‘Deceased’ in Iran Protests
In a surprising turn of events, a young Israeli woman, Noya Zion, found her photograph displayed on Israeli national television, erroneously identifying her as a casualty in the Iranian protests. This incident highlights concerns over the dissemination of misinformation by the Israeli authorities regarding the recent turmoil and the Islamic government's handling of the situation.
Zion, despite never having visited Iran, was at home on Monday when she watched Israel’s Channel 12 News. On the program, her picture appeared beneath a headline asserting “Four Jews Killed in Protests in Iran.”
The report mistakenly identified her as Sanaz Javaherian, purportedly a protestor whom the channel alleged had been detained and killed by Iranian security forces.
Zion expressed disbelief in a video she promptly shared on social media, capturing her reaction to an inaccurate television report. “I never imagined this would occur in my lifetime… I’m at home!” she declared. The footage showed Zion alive and well, preparing to leave for a training session in just 30 minutes. She clarified, “I’ve never visited Iran in my life.”
The footage underscored the incongruity of the purported false information disseminated by Israel regarding the circumstances in Iran.
In a playful manner, her father expressed his views on Facebook, suggesting that the mix-up could be due to Zion’s likeness to Israeli actress Niv Sultan, who gained recognition for her part in the espionage thriller series Tehran.
He stated, “Perhaps there’s a resemblance between her and Niv Sultan. Wishing peace to both.” He continued, “Regardless, our Noya wasn’t in Tehran last week. The Facebook user with a large following is irrelevant; there are others contributing to the trolling. Channel 12, an unwise station.”
Channel 12 has yet to release a public correction or statement concerning the broadcast.
Zion’s narrative has ignited debates on social media platforms such as X, with users pinpointing it as a potential case of “Israeli propaganda” misfiring or perhaps a significant journalistic error. One user remarked, “The efficiency of Israeli propaganda is such that it appears to backfire, even depicting harm to its own settlers on television.”
Riots believed to have foreign instigation intensified in Iran starting January 8 and persisted for several days. These events followed peaceful demonstrations in Iranian bazaars and markets, where traders urged the government to intervene in stopping the depreciation of the Iranian rial.
The violence, overtly incited by the Israeli regime and Trump, led to significant damage to both public and private property. The widespread destruction affected shops, government institutions, public service facilities, and resulted in the loss of thousands of civilian lives, including women, children, and security personnel.
Iranian officials have verified that intelligence agencies from the United States and Israel played a direct role by offering financial backing, training, and media assistance to individuals and groups engaged in riots and armed terrorism on the streets.
The Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs in Iran has disclosed that a total of 3,117 fatalities occurred amid the unrest, comprising 2,427 civilians and members of security forces. The report highlighted that numerous innocent lives were claimed by orchestrated terrorist activities.
