JustASC

This story, about a so-called mermaid rights organization suing the Israeli city of Kiryat Yam for defamation of the mythical creatures, is whipping around the web, with an amazing lack of skepticism from outlets who should know when something smells fishy.

The “Mermaid Medical Association” is exactly what it sounds like — a physician’s office at 1704 Mermaid Ave. in Brooklyn. Google the address and you get a listing for “Yuri Birbrayer, MD.”

So there are really two possibilities here: Birbrayer threatened to sue Israel as a publicity stunt, or someone hijacked the name of his practice, presumably for laughs.

The original Ynet story has all kinds of yellow flags: the reporter quotes from the letter sent by MMA, but doesn’t say whether he/she has seen it. The town official is unnamed. And there is something more than a little suspicious about the official’s boosterish response:

“In any case, we plan to appeal to the organization which sent the letter and suggest that it join the search for the mermaid in order to perpetuate and preserve it.”