Environment

Monday, January 5, 2026

False claims allege Israel started fires in Chile and Argentina

‘The land will be left as ashes’: why Patagonia’s wildfires are almost impossible to stop

The Guardian

Subtle stance: Emphasizes climate change, ecological mismanagement, and austerity policies, aligning with an environmentalist, center-left critique of the Milei government and of right-wing conspiracy narratives. The coverage foregrounds structural and policy causes more than political or ideological diversity of views.

Iran state TV airs video of Chile fires claiming destruction in attack on Israel

Al Arabiya

Subtle stance: Presents Iran’s state broadcaster in a critical light, highlighting its use of misleading footage in the context of Iran–Israel confrontation, which fits a generally skeptical stance toward Iran. The focus is narrow and factual but framed within a broader security narrative sympathetic to Israel’s position.

Radio host blames ‘two Israelis’ for Argentina wildfires, sparks backlash; Milei condemns claim

Ynet

Subtle stance: Frames the story primarily through opposition to antisemitic conspiracy theories, highlighting Jewish communal responses and official condemnation while not deeply exploring other dimensions of the fires. The perspective is broadly pro-Israeli/Jewish community but maintains a factual tone on the controversy itself.

Argentina Fire Sparks Antisemitic Blood Libel Against Israelis | Israel Hayom

Israel Hayom

Strong stance: Uses strongly charged language about antisemitism and positions Israelis and Jews as targets of malicious ‘blood libels,’ reflecting a pronounced pro-Israel, security-focused stance. The narrative concentrates on hostile actors and delegitimization of their motives, with limited attention to broader local context beyond antisemitism and conspiracy.

False Claims Blaming Israelis and Mapuche Groups for Argentine Wildfires Spread Online - VINnews

VINnews

Subtle stance: Centers on debunking antisemitic and anti-Mapuche conspiracy theories, with a clear concern for the impact of misinformation on minorities and public order. The piece is largely corrective and fact-focused but reflects a communal-defense lens, especially regarding Jewish and indigenous communities.

In January 2026 a wave of wildfires in Patagonia (Argentina) and earlier blazes in Chile prompted social-media rumours and state-broadcast misuses that falsely blamed Israelis or Israel for starting the fires. Reliable reporting and local authorities say the fires were driven by extreme weather and human activity; some fires show signs of deliberate ignition but investigators have found no verified link to Israel. The rumours have sparked antisemitic conspiracy theories and been debunked by multiple outlets.

Key facts

~36,000 hectares burned in Patagonia since early Jan 2026

Chubut prosecutors say fires show signs of human origin

No evidence links Israelis or Mapuche to starting Patagonia fires

Online rumours falsely blame Israelis/Jews for Patagonia fires

Iranian state TV misused Chile wildfire video in Israel context

Patagonia wildfires in Argentina’s Chubut province, Jan 2026

Large fires in southern Argentina’s Patagonia, especially Chubut, driven by drought, heat, wind and human activity.

Sources:

The Guardian

VINnews

Israel Hayom

Climate and policy drivers: drought, heatwaves and fire-service cuts

Experts cite climate crisis, extreme weather and an 81% cut to Argentina’s National Fire Management Service budget.

Sources:

The Guardian

Long‑standing antisemitic ‘Andinia Plan’ and related conspiracies

Old conspiracy theory claims Jews/Israelis seek to take over Patagonia; resurfaced in fire-related rumours.

Sources:

The Guardian

Israel Hayom

VINnews

Ynet

Mapuche communities and recurring scapegoating

Indigenous Mapuche people in Argentina/Chile are recurrently blamed by nationalist groups for sabotage and terror.

Sources:

The Guardian

Israel Hayom

VINnews

February 2024 Chile wildfires and later media misuse

Major fires in Chile in early 2024 were later shown in Iranian TV as if they were destruction from an attack on Israel.

Sources:

Al Arabiya

Perspectives

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Argentine authorities and mainstream local media

The Guardian

Ynet

Israel Hayom

VINnews

The wildfires are the result of extreme weather and human-caused ignition, but there is no evidence that Israelis, Jews, or Mapuche communities started them.

Best arguments

Prosecutors and courts say fires show human origin yet have not identified suspects, making targeted blame premature.

Authorities and fact-checking outlets find circulating videos are miscaptioned campfires from other locations, not proof of Israeli or Mapuche arson.

Officials warn such rumours echo old antisemitic and anti‑Mapuche conspiracy theories and undermine both firefighting and investigations.

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Jewish and pro‑Israel organizations/media

Ynet

Israel Hayom

VINnews

Claims that Israelis or Jews started the Patagonia fires constitute a dangerous antisemitic ‘blood libel’ with no factual basis and must be publicly repudiated.

Best arguments

Jewish community leaders stress that publicly naming “two Israelis” without evidence stigmatizes Jews and fuels hatred.

Reports document fabricated details (alleged arrests, weapons) and their amplification by outlets like Iran’s Fars News, showing coordinated disinformation.

Past antisemitic myths such as the Andinia Plan show a pattern where crises in Patagonia are repeatedly exploited to target Jews/Israelis.

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Iranian state and aligned media outlets

Al Arabiya

Israel Hayom

In regional information battles, some Iranian media have framed wildfires and fire imagery as evidence of Israeli vulnerability or wrongdoing, even using misleading content.

Best arguments

Iranian state TV broadcast Chile wildfire footage while presenting it as destruction from Iran’s attack on Israel, indicating willingness to reuse unrelated imagery.

Iranian Fars News echoed unverified social‑media claims that Israelis were behind the Argentine fires, supporting anti‑Israeli narratives.

Such coverage fits a broader pattern in which regional media weaponize disasters and ambiguous visuals to advance geopolitical messaging against Israel.

Common Distortions

Turning fringe online rumors into a central driver of the overall narrative: Coverage can overemphasize sensational but marginal online accusations, portraying them as broadly influential, which inflates their importance and may misrepresent how widespread such views actually are.

Portraying loosely connected actors as coordinated ideological ‘forces’: Vague references to groups or ‘forces’ spreading false claims can imply an organized campaign without clear evidence, blurring the line between isolated misinformation and deliberate, centrally directed efforts.

Using emotionally charged historical labels for present-day false claims: Invoking historically loaded terms for modern conspiracies can heighten emotional response and moral framing, potentially overstating parallels and shifting focus from concrete facts to symbolic battles.

Attributing deliberate intent behind misinformation without clear proof: Reports may suggest that parties spreading inaccurate claims do so with calculated malice or strategic goals, even when evidence might also fit confusion, bias, or negligence, overstating certainty about motives.

Focusing on identity of alleged perpetrators over verified evidence: Narratives can center on the nationality or ethnicity of supposed culprits, even when evidence is lacking, reinforcing group-based blame and overshadowing technical investigations into the actual cause of events.

Does anything look off?