Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the subject of a widely dismissed but ongoing proposition that he is dead, is a particularly high-profile example of the cloudy and overcrowded information environment created by the mix of AI and social media.
Social media users began speculating about the Israeli leader’s well-being after footage of a recent televised address began circulating online last week, in which Netanyahu gave an update on the war in Iran.
Some viewers suggested the video was AI-generated, at one point, Netanyahu’s hand appears to have six fingers, a common artifact of artificial intelligence production. His handheld screen grabs on platforms like X became widespread.
Fact-checking website PolitiFact rated the six-finger claims as false, writing that “the lighting technique makes part of his palm look like an extra finger.”
But unfounded rumors about Netanyahu’s death continued to circulate, with TikTokers and meme accounts analyzing subsequent posts from his account.
Netanyahu, 76, has made few pre-announced public appearances since the war began, with Iran vowing to target him personally in retaliation for the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ali Khamenei’s son and Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has also not been seen in public since the US launched the war on the country and has similarly been the subject of speculation about his health.
While there is nothing to indicate that Netanyahu is currently ill, his health has first appeared on Israeli politics with his emergency heart surgery to fit a pacemaker in 2023 and prostate removal surgery in 2024.
Netanyahu tried to shut down the rumors on Sunday by posting a video of himself grabbing coffee at a cafe in Jerusalem, joking that “I’m dying for coffee” in the clip.
Despite evidence of a lifetime of effort, users continued to parse through every frame of that video for signs of possible AI manipulation.
Confusion around the topic of AI comes as many social media platforms that pay creators for engagement have given users incentives to repurpose old photos and videos to boost emotion in viral news moments. Experts say the conflation of misinformation is creating a surge of trust online — especially when it’s mixed with authentic evidence.
Speculation about the health of world leaders is relatively common online, with some social media users theorizing last year that President Donald Trump had medical problems due to physical problems seen in photos and videos and brief stretches where he was not seen in public. Trump dismissed those rumors.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu posted a video with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, again referring to the ongoing speculation.
In the video, Huckabee is seen walking with Netanyahu as President Donald Trump tells the prime minister to “come and make sure you’re OK.”
“Yes, I’m alive,” Netanyahu responded in the video. He emphasized that he and Trump would “shake hands with five fingers on each hand” before going on to praise their military operations and the support of the US government.
Netanyahu showed Huckabee a “punch card” depicting two “erased” names he planned to target — referring to Israel’s announcement that it had killed Ali Larijani, the Islamic Republic’s top security official, and Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of its Basij Force. Iranian officials later confirmed his death.
Huckabee then followed up with his own post, which included a picture of himself posing with the Israeli leader.
“He certainly looked alive and in good spirits,” Huckabee wrote. “Contrary news? Kosher pork chop as phony.”
