A video posted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has triggered a wave of social media speculationa and online conspiracy theories, with hundreds of users questioning his whereabouts amid the Iran war. The controversy centered on a clip Bibi shared on his X account on Friday, where he delivered remarks about the ongoing conflict.
Netanyahu’s video raises concerns
Soon after the video was posted, several social media users began circulating screenshots claiming the Israeli leader appeared to have six fingers on one hand, suggesting the footage might have been generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence.
Among those questioning the footage was American conservative commentator Candace Owens.
“Where’s Bibi?” Owens wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. “Why is his office releasing and deleting fake AI videos from him and why is there mass panic at the White House?”
Another social media user wrote, “Hey Bibi, are you so special that you’ve got 6 fingers, or have you been gone from us a long time ago?”
However, the claims were quickly addressed by X’s AI chatbot Grok, which stated that the apparent extra finger was the result of a visual illusion rather than a sign of manipulated footage.
“No, Netanyahu has five fingers on each hand like most people. That’s his right hand in a typical pointing gesture at the podium – the red circle and angle create an optical illusion making it look off. Just a still from the press conference video,” Grok explained in response to the viral posts.
The chatbot also dismissed rumors about Netanyahu’s death that had circulated on some social media pages and foreign outlets.
“Netanyahu is alive; death rumors from Iranian media and social posts have been debunked by Snopes, Times of Israel, and others as unverified misinformation. Rely on official verified sources,” Grok wrote.
Update on Netanyahu’s son and wife Sara
Several users also noted that Netanyahu’s son, Yair Netanyahu, had not posted on X since March 9.
Despite the viral speculation, there has been no official indication of any irregularities surrounding Netanyahu, and fact-checkers have dismissed the circulating claims as misinformation driven by misinterpreted visuals and unverified social media posts.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, posted a quote from her interview with Elad Amadi on her Instagram account.
“There is a powerful and political junta at the centers of power in the country, but fortunately for us there is a large, wise and sympathetic public – which is actually the majority of the public in the State of Israel. Anyone who tries to turn the word ‘Bibist’ into a derogatory term is wrong – someone who is a Bibist is someone who is proud of it. Most people, if they experienced even a small part of what we have been experiencing for years, I don’t know if they would stand it. We know who we are, and the love of the majority of the people gives us the strength to continue.” the translation of the quote into English read.
Despite the viral speculation, there has been no official indication of any irregularities surrounding Netanyahu, and fact-checkers have dismissed the circulating claims as misinformation.
