I’ve been all over the story of photographer Samuel Hardy covering for UK Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn and his worrying associations with those calling for Israel’s destruction.
This is what Hardy told the press as being his reason for not allowing his photo of Corbyn standing near a Hizbullah flag to be used by Israel’s Ynet:
One seemingly innocuous image snapped by photographer Sam Hardy back in 2012 has received an unexpected surge of less-than-welcome interest recently.
The image in question features newly-appointed UK Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn with his arms crossed, smiling. In the background, two men pass, holding a flag.
At the time he captured the photo, Hardy was unaware of the significance of that particular flag—it happened to be the flag of Hezbollah, the Shi’a Islamist militant group considered to be terrorists by the Western world.
When leading Israeli newspaper ?????? ??????? Yedioth Ahronoth approached him, enquiring about a photograph he had uploaded to stock image siteDemotix, it dawned on Hardy that in the wrong hands—and without context—this image of a relaxed Corbyn listening to speakers at the 2012 pro-Palestine march could be very damaging for the politician.
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Hardy explained to Phogotrophy the situation that led up to the image he snapped of Corbyn:
“Jeremy Corbyn was (by) himself just standing to the side listening to the speakers. I turned to get a shot of him and he smiled back at me–at the time, I did not realise that the flags were of the Hezbollah group (had I realised at the time I might have tried to framed a photo without the flag), although it was clear to me that Jeremy was not posing with the flag–the two men behind him were simply passing by.”
I have already shown that Hardy seems to be a fan of Corbyn, harbors the same kind of anti-Israel views that Corbyn does, and possibly antisemitic ones, indicating he was covering up for Corbyn.
Now I have proof he was lying to the press.
This is a photo he took at the same rally. Notice the caption he uses (hat tip: Bob).
Seems like he is either outright lying or suffered from convenient amnesia during his interviews with the press.
I think he’s lying. Methinks it is because he got told off by Corbyn’s people and wanted to make amends.
Of course, it was always highly unlikely someone with Hardy’s views and associations would be ignorant about Hizbullah. Furthermore, it was not the first time he had seen those flags, or Jeremy Corbyn around them. For instance, here is video he took earlier in 2012 showing both.
I should also point out that these days, Hardy seems to have formed an opinion about Hizbullah. From a comment thread he has now deleted:
Got it.
Although not surprising from a person who considers arch terrorist Arafat to be a freedom fighter.
Meanwhile, while Hardy disallows Ynet to use his photos, here is a site Hardy seems to allow to use them: The blatantly antisemitic Shoah: The Palestinian Holocaust.
Reader Alex writes:
Unfortunately I pointed out to him his hypocrisy with regards to supplying anti-Semitic and anti-Israel websites, such as Shoah, with his photographs in one of my FB private message exchanges he initiated with me and which became inaccessible the moment he blocked me on Facebook. Since I’ve never before been blocked by anybody on Facebook or anywhere else for that matter, I didn’t realise I should have taken screenshots of the FB private message exchanges.
It looks like Sam Hardy has now had Shoah remove his images, except for one article he appears to have written for them or at the very least given them permission to use. However, his name is still listed underneath each of the picture placeholders:
For example, see here.
Update: From Hardy’s Deviant Art page. Notice the name he goes by, as well as the flag in the background of the photo.
More of his photos here.
