Fact Check: Pakistan residents tear Israeli sanitary napkins during protest? No, here’s the truth
A video has been circulating, claiming it shows people in Pakistan destroying sanitary napkins manufactured in Israel.
By Md Mahfooz Alam
Claim:Over the Israel-Palestine conflict, a video shows people in Pakistan tearing Israel-manufactured sanitary napkins with their teeth during a protest.
Fact:The claim is misleading. The video shows Pakistan residents tearing the Israeli flags with their teeth in 2023.
Hyderabad: In Pakistan, anti-Israel and anti-US sentiments have led to violent protests, including attacks on KFC outlets in cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. Over 170 individuals have been arrested in connection with these incidents, which have resulted in property damage and the death of a KFC employee.
In this context, a video showing bearded men wearing caps and tearing a white-and-blue paper-like item with their teeth has been circulating on social media—those sharing the video claim that the men are protesting against sanitary napkins allegedly manufactured in Israel.
Sharing the video, an X user wrote, “After KFC, Pepsi & BATA... now it’s ‘sanitary pads’ under fire in Pakistan! Someone spread a rumour that sanitary pads are also made by an Israeli company — and guess what? The extremists ripped them apart. Failed State Pakistan is crumbling from within! (sic)”
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is misleading, as the video shows people in Pakistan tearing Israeli flags with their teeth in 2023.
A reverse image search of the video’s keyframes led us to a post by the media outlet BigBreakingWire, dated October 14, 2023, stating that the video depicts people in Pakistan tearing down the Israeli flag with their teeth during a protest.
We found the video shared by several X users, including journalists Abdulhaq Omeri and Habib Khan, claiming it shows supporters of Palestine in Peshawar, Pakistan, tearing the Israeli flag with their teeth.
On Instagram, Tel Aviv-based journalist Pouria Zeraati, who covers the Middle East, also shared the video on October 14, 2023, stating that it was filmed in Pakistan and shows protesters tearing Israeli flags.
We also looked at reports on the protests in Pakistan and found one published by India Today on October 13, 2023. According to the report, demonstrations were held in major cities such as Karachi, Islamabad, and Peshawar in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war. The protests were organised by religious and political groups, including Jamaat-e-Islami and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), who called for an immediate end to Israeli airstrikes and the blockade of Gaza.
Therefore, we conclude that the video is from 2023 and does not show Pakistani protesters tearing sanitary napkins allegedly manufactured in Israel. The claim is misleading.
