‘Trump Gaza’ video creators say it was only intended for satire

The creators of the viral ‘Trump Gaza’ AI-generated video have expressed concern over US President Donald Trump’s promotion of the trending clip, which they say was intended solely as political satire.

The clip, which featured golden statues of the US president and bearded belly-dancers, went viral after Trump shared it on his Truth Social media network, and was greeted with widespread outrage and mockery.

In an interview with British newspaper The Guardian, Solo Avital, one of the two US-based Israeli filmmakers behind the controversial clip, said that its virality “surprised the hell out of me”, adding that he and co-creator Ariel Vromen “sometimes do satire pieces such as this one was supposed to be.”

On 25 February, US President Donald Trump shared the AI-generated video following his widely criticised “Gaza Riviera” proposal, which aimed to transform the war-ravaged Gaza Strip into a luxury tourist destination under US control, forcibly displacing millions of Palestinians.  

The video featured a montage of scenes portraying an idyllic future Gaza with skyscrapers, beach resorts, luxury limousines, and superyachts- alongside bizarre imagery, including bearded belly dancers, a giant statue of Trump, and billionaire Elon Musk tossing money over crowds of cheering tourists. 

Avital told The Guardian that making the video took under eight hours, adding that he was experimenting with AI tools using Arcana software early last month. 

The video creator argued that the reasoning behind making the video was to create “satire about this megalomaniac idea about putting statues [in Gaza] to see what the tool could do.” 

Avital insisted that the video was initially shared only with friends, while business partner Vromen posted it online publicly for a few hours.  

Avital later advised him to take it down, as it could potentially be seen as “a little insensitive, and we don’t want to take sides.”

According to the pair, they had shared an early version of the video with Oscar-winning actor and director Mel Gibson, whom Trump appointed as a special ambassador to Hollywood in January.  

Gibson, who has previously collaborated with EyeMix and Arcana, informed them that he had shared a different video about the LA wildfires with individuals close to Trump. 

However, the duo denied ever sending the Gaza video to the US president and said he may have used it without permission. 

In a TV interview with NBC News, Avital also admitted that a scene in the widely ridiculed video featuring bearded Palestinian dancers was “a disrespectful portrayal.”  

He claimed it was intended as satire aimed at Hamas, referencing Israel’s accusations regarding the group’s handling of deceased Israeli captives. 

The White House has yet to publicly comment following the latest claims. 

Sahat, a Palestinian digital media platform, has since released a response video to the original AI-generated clip, highlighting a vision of a Palestinian-led future for Gaza.  

The video depicts a transformed enclave with renovated streets, a thriving seaport, bustling markets, and a reorganised society.

It also portrays Palestinians returning to their homeland, echoing real-life scenes of displaced people rushing back to northern Gaza following the announcement of a ceasefire. 

The group also targeted Trump, Musk, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu- who is wanted by the ICC on war crimes charges in Gaza– by envisioning a future in which they face accountability for their actions during the Gaza war.