Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Saturday issued a statement, dismissing social media theories about his assassination. The 76-year-old’s statement came after several commentators, including Candace Owens, asked about his whereabouts as soon as a clip of his speech went viral.
Netanyahu’s viral video
Earlier this week, social media users shared screenshots from a video posted by the Israeli PM, claiming that he appeared to have six fingers on one hand. They further suggested that the clip might have been generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence.
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Candace Owens asks ‘Where is Bibi?’
Conservative commentator Candace Owens stirred chatter, claiming that Washington is misleading Americans about the situation in Iran.
“Washington D.C is lying to the American people about what is going on in Iran,” she wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. “It is not going well.”
She also raised questions “Also where is Bibi Netanyahu?” Owens wrote, using the Israeli leader’s nickname. “Why is his office releasing and deleting fake AI videos from him and why is there mass panic at the White House?”
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Netanyahu’s response
The Office of Israeli Prime Minister dismissed all speculation, state-run Anadolu News Agency reported.
An Anadolu correspondent asked officials about the theories about ‘Netanyahu being assassinated’.
“These are fake news; the Prime Minister is fine,” the office replied.
Responding to the statement, Owens tweeted: “I don’t know that Bibi is dead but it is very evident there is real panic at the White House and this war is not going as planned. And with the way Trump casually lied about bombing the school girls, it’s hard to trust anything coming from this admin.”
Netanyahu’s next steps
Meanwhile, The Times of Israel cited an Israeli official to report that the PM reached out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to request a phone call. It is unclear what the agenda of the call is.
According to Ynet, Bibi wants to discuss cooperating on countering Iranian drones, which Ukraine has been facing for years.
US-Iran war update
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said Saturday the war with Tehran was entering a ‘decisive phase’, praising US strikes on what Washington called military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub.
“The global and regional struggle against Iran, led by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is escalating and entering the decisive phase that will continue as long as necessary,” Katz told military top brass in a televised statement.
(With AFP inputs)