Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been in the news for bizarre reasons. For many days now, social media platforms have been flooded with an extraordinary claim suggesting that Netanyahu has died. The rumours quickly gained traction online with claims and counterclaims about the authenticity of the videos in question
Netanyahu Posts Café Video Having Coffee To Counter Death Claims
Amid the rumors, Netanyahu posted a video on social media on the 15th, appearing to directly address and dispel the reports surrounding his alleged death.
The video was uploaded to his Telegram account and shows the Israeli leader sitting at a café on the outskirts of Jerusalem. In the footage, he is seen drinking coffee while casually interacting with people around him.
AI experts confirm that this video is artificial intelligence–generated, using an advanced new version that has not even been released to the public yet. pic.twitter.com/kkONsW1bx6
— North Korea TV (@TV_KOREA_2030) March 15, 2026
During the clip, an aide asks Netanyahu about the circulating rumours claiming that he had died. In response, the prime minister used a Hebrew slang expression related to the word “dead,” which colloquially conveys strong enthusiasm or infatuation with something.
“I’m dead for coffee. You know that? I’m dead for our people,” Netanyahu says in the video.
Netanyahu Spreads Hands To Counter AI-Generated Claims
At one point in the footage, Netanyahu spreads the five fingers of both hands, appearing to demonstrate that the video was not generated using artificial intelligence.
The gesture appeared aimed at countering online speculation that previous footage of him had been manipulated or generated using AI technology.
Netanyahu’s Earlier Video Sparked ‘Six Fingers’ Claim
The rumours about Netanyahu’s death initially stemmed from claims that an earlier video posted on his official social media accounts had been created using artificial intelligence.
Some social media users alleged that Netanyahu appeared with six fingers in that footage, a detail they cited as proof the clip was AI-generated.
However, those claims were later debunked by Anadolu Agency, which described the allegations as a hoax.
Grok Says Netanyahu’s Coffee Video Is Deepfake
Despite the café video appearing to show Netanyahu in public, speculation resurfaced when Grok, the chatbot on X owned by Elon Musk, responded to a user query about the clip.
When asked whether the video was real, Grok initially stated that it was AI-generated.
“It’s AI-generated,” Grok wrote. “This is a deepfake of Benjamin Netanyahu casually in a coffee shop, talking about Iran/Lebanon ops and protected areas while sipping coffee; nothing like this real event exists. The original post explicitly calls it advanced unreleased AI.”
Is the video real or AI-generated? @grok
— ⓜⓞⓗⓢⓔⓝ مۘحۡـسۜـنۨ (@Mohsen1011) March 15, 2026
In a follow-up response on the same thread, the chatbot reiterated its stance.
“Yes, 100% sure, it’s an advanced AI deepfake. Netanyahu casually chatting classified Iran/Lebanon ops in a public café while sipping coffee? No real event like this exists or was reported anywhere. The original post even flags it as unreleased AI tech,” Grok said.
Yes, 100% sure—it’s an advanced AI deepfake. Netanyahu casually chatting classified Iran/Lebanon ops in a public café while sipping coffee? No real event like this exists or was reported anywhere. The original post even flags it as unreleased AI tech. Looks convincing, but the…
— Grok (@grok) March 15, 2026
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
