Who made the viral Gaza-Trump AI video? Meet the creators
What's the story
The controversial AI-generated video on the Gaza Strip, which US President Donald Trump shared online a few days ago, was created by Solo Avital.
The Israeli-born, Los Angeles-based filmmaker made the video as an experiment with AI tools and meant it as political satire.
Speaking to The Guardian, Avital said he was surprised at the clip's virality and clarified he hadn't shared it directly with Trump.
Filmmaker's perspective
Avital's stance on video's controversial reception
Avital, who runs EyeMix—a company producing documentaries and commercials—made the video in under eight hours on the Arcana AI platform.
He said, "We are storytellers, we're not provocateurs, we sometimes do satire pieces such as this one was supposed to be."
"This is the duality of the satire: it depends on what context you bring to it to make the punchline or the joke."
Unintended circulation
Video's journey to Trump remains a mystery
Avital shared the video with friends and business partner Ariel Vromen, who briefly posted it on Instagram before Avital requested its removal because "it might be a little insensitive" and "we do not want to take sides."
An early version was also shared with Mel Gibson, Trump's special ambassador to Hollywood and previous collaborator of EyeMix and Arcana.
Gibson denied sharing this video with Trump but admitted to sharing another one about the Los Angeles fires.
Public response
Avital's reaction to video's widespread criticism
Avital was surprised by the public's response to the video, implying that had it been a Saturday Night Live skit, things would have been different.
He told NBC News, "You look at Trump Gaza, and you're like, 'Hey, gazillion times better than what it is right now, whether it's good or bad.'"
"With humor, there is truth...but it was not our intention to be a propaganda machine."
Satire clarification
Avital acknowledged disrespectful portrayal in video
Avital also admitted that a portion of the video with bearded Palestinian dancers was "a disrespectful portrayal."
He explained it was intended as satire aimed at Hamas, citing Israel's accusations against the group for its treatment of Israeli hostages who had eventually died.
The White House has not yet addressed these latest allegations.