Where is Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu?

The 'six fingers' claim. Vanishing ring. Alleged deepfake videos and claims of his absence from Israeli security cabinet meetings have made Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the most scrutinised leader on social media in the past week. There have been fervent rumours that Bibi, as Netanyahu is fondly known, is dead or critically injured amid the Iran conflict. Since last week, there have been no live TV addresses by Netanyahu, and the videos released by Israel to debunk his death rumours have been dissected in microscopic detail. 'Is Bibi dead or alive?' has been among the top trends on X.

The unusual silence on X by Yair Netanyahu, the Israeli PM's social media-savvy son, has only added fuel to the speculation. A "Twitter addict" who usually posts around 30-35 times per day, Yair's X account has fallen silent since March 9. Moreover, a recent viral video of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent being abruptly pulled from a live interview to attend a meeting with Trump and his visibly shaken voice on returning have only added grist to the rumour mill.

IS NETANYAHU DEAD OR ALIVE?

But how did rumours about Netanyahu's death start circulating? Since February 28, when the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the 75-year-old PM has stuck to video addresses. While the Israeli PM has visited two towns hit by Iranian missiles, a hospital, and military bases, there has been little to no media access. Even the first press briefing he held was conducted via a video link on March 12.

However, hawk-eyed social media users noticed something was amiss. One particular frame quickly generated widespread debate. In that image, Netanyahu's left hand appears distorted, with several users claiming it appeared to show six fingers.

Now, such distortions are known to be a tell-tale sign that an image is generated via AI. Generative AI tools are known to struggle to render human hands accurately.

In another widely circulated image from the press meet, extra flesh is seen near Netanyahu's little finger, with users dubbing it a "classic AI finger glitch".

It must be noted, however, that emergency safety restrictions have been in place in Israel since the start of the conflict. A section of users and experts pointed out that governments have frequently used AI avatars or synthetic footage of their leaders during wartime communications.

VIDEO FROM COFFEE SHOP

It has done little to quell the rumours, though. Thus, Israel decided to take matters into its hands. On March 15, Netanyahu posted a video on his official account from a cafe in Jerusalem, and even showed both of his hands with five fingers, mocking rumours about his death.

When asked about a few media houses declaring him dead, Netanyahu quipped, "I am dying for coffee."

Instead of quashing the rumours, the video only escalated the speculation after Grok, the chatbot developed by Elon Musk's xAI, claimed the footage was "100% deepfake". Grok further said there was no record of such a "real-life event".

A section of users also said the coffee cup being held by Netanyahu appeared to tilt in a way that defied gravity.

A counter was needed. It came from the Jerusalem cafe that Netanyahu visited. The Sataf soon posted high-resolution images on Instagram showing the Israeli PM enjoying coffee during his visit.

"We were very happy to host the Prime Minister and his office in Sataf today! Know which bakery to visit," the cafe posted.

A quick analysis showed that the location seen in the video posted by Netanyahu matched the cafe's interior.

NEW VIDEO FAILS TO STOP AI CLAIMS

However, Netanyahu was not done. A new video was posted the next day showing him casually walking on the streets in Jerusalem and interacting with civilians.

Here, too, the internet was not convinced. Several users pointed out that a ring on his finger appeared to vanish as he moved his arm in the video.

"Why does Netanyahu's ring disappear as he moved his arm... Is this also AI??" one tweeted.

Popular British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan also weighed in."I don't want to be the conspiracy theory guy, and I swear I have resisted all the 'Netanyahu is dead' stuff... but this looks so fake," Hasan tweeted.

Come Tuesday, another video was posted from the Israeli PM's X account. In his video message, Netanyahu extended greetings to Iranians for Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

It did little to dismiss the speculation. Mark Levin, a popular TikToker, claimed on X that the captions in the video were strategically placed to hide distortions in Netanyahu's hand movements. He also claimed that the voice appeared to be AI-generated.

However, Israeli Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has scotched rumours about Netanyahu, saying the "PM is alive" and was engaged in military discussions.

Despite these assurances, social media discussions about Netanyahu's health and whereabouts have spread like wildfire. But it must be noted that Netanyahu, the longest-serving prime minister since Israel's independence, has built a reputation as a wily political survivor. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

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