‘Where are you hiding Moshe Yair?’ Hezbollah chief lampooned after quoting fictitious Israeli writer

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem faced widespread ridicule in Lebanon and on Arab social media after quoting a fictitious Israeli commentator, “Moshe Yair,” during a speech marking 20 years since the Second Lebanon War. Qassem, speaking on Friday evening, cited an alleged article from Yedioth Ahronoth to support Hezbollah’s claim that Israel was exploiting the Lebanese government’s supposed naivete in negotiations. He read an excerpt stating, “Fortunately for us, they [the Lebanese government] sent a delegation that loves Israel and America more than its own country.”

• Investigations by Lebanese media, including Al-Jadeed and MTV Lebanon, found no record of a commentator named Moshe Yair working for Yedioth Ahronoth, nor did the cited article exist.
• The passage Qassem read had circulated previously on pro-Hezbollah and pro-Iranian social media, often attributed to a “Jewish thinker” from Yedioth Ahronoth, suggesting a fabricated persona used to lend credibility to narratives.
• Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar omitted the passage about the Israeli commentator from the transcript of Qassem’s speech, though it remained audible in the video.
• Critics and social media users mocked Qassem, questioning whether he was misled by unreliable sources or actively participated in promoting the fabrication. MTV Lebanon stated, “The article does not exist, and neither does the Jewish thinker by that name.”