Video doesn’t show Biden landing in Israel for 2023 visit

President Joe Biden is slated to travel to Israel and Jordan amid rising concerns that the Israel-Hamas war could expand into a larger regional conflict.

Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have died since the militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7. According to news reports, Biden will meet with both Israeli and Arab leadership this week.

On Tuesday, Oct. 17, multiple people on social media, including Russian-owned news outlet RT, shared a video claiming to show Biden arriving in Israel for his planned visit. But at least one person said in response that the video was taken more than a year earlier.

Does this video show President Biden arriving in Israel during the current war with Hamas?

No, this video does not show President Biden arriving in Israel during the current war in Hamas. The video does show the president in Israel, but it was shot in July 2022.

The video does not show President Biden arriving in Israel on Oct. 17, 2023. It was actually filmed in July 2022 during Biden’s first trip to the Middle East as president.

Biden will travel to Israel again on Wednesday, Oct. 18, before meeting with Palestinian and Egyptian officials in Jordan, the White House said in a statement. The videos that falsely claim to show Biden arriving in Israel were shared one day prior to the president’s planned visit. 

The White House hasn’t announced any changes to Biden’s plans on its website or social media. 

Using Google’s reverse image search tool, VERIFY traced the video back to Biden’s arrival at Ben Gurion Airport on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel, in July 2022. 

In the six-second clip circulating online, Biden is heard saying, “What am I doing now?” before several people direct him to the middle of a red carpet. 

A video shared on July 13, 2022, by Jewish YouTube channel shiezoli shows the same scene from about 23:34 to 23:40. Reuters captured the same moment about 21 minutes into a YouTube video streamed live on the same day. 

According to Reuters, the video shows Biden arriving at the airport and attending a welcome ceremony.

Both the U.S. Embassy in Israel and the White House also confirm Biden spoke at the airport on July 13, 2022. The July 2022 trip to the Middle East region also included visits to Saudi Arabia and the West Bank, according to the White House.