Sometimes, stories resurface on Twitter and we're really not sure why. But when they are funny, we just have to tell you about them.
On Monday and Tuesday, a story that first came out a little over a year ago started making the rounds on Twitter and it was just too hilarious to resist. Last January, a Palestinian elder reported that Israel was 'recruiting and training' cattle -- yes, that's cows -- to spy on Palestinians.
The story was almost immediately debunked, even though Palestinian media tried to pass it off as some brilliant new Israeli spy tactic.
A Palestinian village elder fabricated a story about Israeli livestock participating in spying activity, which the official Palestinian Authority daily news outlet Al-Hayat Al-Jadida published as reality, according to a report by Palestinian Media Watch.
'On the neck of each cow, they hang a medallion with an eavesdropping and recording device on it, and sometimes cameras, in order to monitor every detail' in the village, the elder said.
The P.A. daily further claimed that a Palestinian village elder spotted Israeli cows that are actually 'recruited and trained' spies.
Why was this story brought up again in March of 2024? We have no idea. We're just here for the laughs.
And Twitter definitely delivered on the laughs.
The operation was carried out by the Israeli MOOssad
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) March 12, 2024
🐄 pic.twitter.com/vlXRuPz6V8
The steaks are always high for the MOOssad.
OK, before we go any further, we have to pause for a moment to point out the hilarious 'cow spy' clip from the classic 80s World War II spoof, 'Top Secret!' Because it's just too dead-on.
OK, now back to Twitter.
But HERE’S proof ! pic.twitter.com/eJ7FAywB9p
— 𝑴✡︎𝒏𝒐𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒛✡︎𝒉™︎ 🇺🇸⚕🇮🇱🇺🇦 (@manoflamatzah) March 11, 2024
Well, there you have it. It's documented.
— Chris Loesch 𝕏 (@ChrisLoesch) March 12, 2024
— BergRock™ (@bergrock2) March 12, 2024
The name's Bond. Bessie Bond. License to milk.
These pedigreed Moo-sad agents have been put out to pasture after being exposed during a steak-out. pic.twitter.com/fcnBNicmKA
— Saul Sadka (@Saul_Sadka) March 12, 2024
We're gonna milk this joke. https://t.co/i4aMVVfM3n
— The Mossad: Satirical, Yet Awesome (@TheMossadIL) March 12, 2024
Cow puns. We're here for ALL the cow puns.
And they said it cud not be done https://t.co/JjmMVdyZNM
— Ed Morrissey (@EdMorrissey) March 13, 2024
Udderly incredible https://t.co/cMiEmu0ipJ
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 13, 2024
Shapiro is quite the cow-median.
a recording device? I wonder what they herd? https://t.co/3Wghb98boA
— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) March 13, 2024
Cud morning, cow. Your moosion should you choose to accept it... https://t.co/ZOaPJX3lXN
— The ℭarlisle (@pkcarlislellc) March 13, 2024
'Moosion: Impossible' jokes? Bring 'em on.
what a load of bull
— Michael Gartenberg ✡️🇮🇱🎗️ (@Gartenberg) March 12, 2024
Come on. Would Palestinian media ever steer you wrong?
Nothing to see here, move along https://t.co/bMzQc3g4XK pic.twitter.com/U2G8jJMbRE
— Assaphus Flavius 🎗️ (@AssaphusFlavius) March 12, 2024
Hey, it's just a job. An udder day, an udder dollar.
https://t.co/DGbSvQyjjV pic.twitter.com/mGXJsAgm6M
— Gayliena (@ThesSwans) March 12, 2024
People definitely had some fun with this one using A.I. image creators.
Mossad?🤔 'honey pot’ … more surveillance?🤷🏻♀️
— Syrian Girl's "Mom" ✡️ (@mom_syrian_girl) March 12, 2024
pic.twitter.com/RSNCDNpLfy
But nothing beats original artwork. That one's a moo-sterpiece.
Is that because they have a "beef" with them?
— ⬡ Mike ⬣ (@liveuk) March 12, 2024
OK, let's not butcher the joke here.
Just kidding, let's keep going. Because there's ALWAYS a Simpsons reference.
— Whateverdear (@WhateverDearest) March 13, 2024
They could have gotten far more information by putting these devices on goats.
— Kevin Sproul (@KevinSproul) March 12, 2024
Oof. Hey, he said it, not us.
Little known fact: the cattle communicate with HQ by Jewish space laser
— Sir Alan B'Stard MP PhD KPMG (@BStardAlan) March 12, 2024
WE KNEW IT.
And, it's not just cows that are part of Israel conspiracy theories.
Don't forget the Dolphins 💙 pic.twitter.com/btPUhpIsu8
— Aimee 🎗🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🇮🇱🇬🇧🇺🇦💕 (@Fiddzee) March 12, 2024
This is true. Iran once reported that they had captured -- and we are not joking here -- an Israeli robot dolphin equipped with espionage equipment. And that was back in 2015.
In fact, there is no shortage of conspiracy theories about Israel when it comes to animals. In the same story about the cows, the Palestinian elder also claimed that Israel trained and released wild boars to trample Palestinian crops.
There are so many of these stories, in fact, that Wikipedia has an entire page dedicated to Israel's control of the animal kingdom. Sharks, kestrels, rats, vultures, eagles ... Israel has animal agents everywhere.
But maybe, just maybe, there is a lesson in all these jokes for Western media.
We should absolutely take every piece of news and statistics coming from the Palestinian Authority, or Mossad, at face value.
— LoLNothingMatters (@DastDn) March 12, 2024
Their reliability is unimpeachable, as is that of the media they control. https://t.co/wWX1eeOzpB
If the ridiculous spy-cow story does not make the media in America or Europe start to question their sources, nothing ever will.
We hope they can learn from this, and stop putting so much (live)stock into reports from Palestinian Authority- or Hamas-controlled media.
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