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Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to quell his death rumours amid the ongoing Iran-US war don’t seem to be entirely successful. On Tuesday, he posted a fresh clip with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee in which he could be heard saying “Yes, I’m alive!”.
However, X’s chatbot Grok flagged the viral clip as ‘AI-generated’, claiming it was only posted to mock the ‘proof of life’ video posted by the Israeli PM earlier.
In the fresh clip, Netanyahu, who has been at the centre of rumours about his death amid a war with Iran, is seen saying, “ Yes Mike. Yes. I’m alive. We shake hands with five fingers in each hand, you know. I’m alive but I have this card. No, don’t read it. So it’s a punch card,” he said.
The two were also seen discussing “lunatics who would like to develop nuclear weapons” and “wiping them out”.
“Today I erased two names on the punch card, and you see how many more to go on this batch. We are getting rid of these lunatics who would like to develop nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them to every American city after wiping out Israel. They ain’t gonna do that. We’re wiping them out”.
Also Read | ‘I am dying for coffee’: Netanyahu puts up video to quell death rumours, shows ‘five fingers’
Grok has now flagged the video as AI-generated.
“This is satirical AI-generated content, not a real meeting clip. It mocks “proof of life” videos Netanyahu posted today (cafe visit showing his hands) amid viral rumors he died in recent Iranian missile strikes during the escalating Israel-Iran war,” the chatbot said in response to a user’s question on the context of the conversation between the two leaders.
“The “punch card” humor refers to Israel’s reported targeted killings of Iranian/Hezbollah leaders tied to nuclear programs & attacks. Huckabee (US ambassador) has visited Netanyahu on alliance issues, but this dialogue & card are fabricated,” Grok shared.
However, Huckabee himself pushed back on Grok’s claim, commenting, “Sorry Grok. You blew it. It was very much a real meeting held today. I should know. I was there. No AI on this at all!”
Also Read | Cafe shares proof after Grok calls Netanyahu’s coffee shop video ‘deepfake’
The episode comes against the backdrop of a parallel swirl of misinformation.
Netanyahu had earlier appeared in a video on X on Sunday, March 15, to directly address rumours that he had been killed. Sitting at a cafe with a cup in hand, he remarked, “They say I’m what?”.
The controversy escalated after Grok, the chatbot on X developed by xAI, responded to a user query claiming that the footage was “100% deepfake.” The assertion quickly went viral, amplifying confusion over the authenticity of the clip and feeding into already circulating rumours.
Despite the online speculation, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office moved to shut down the claims.
“These are fake news; the Prime Minister is fine,” the office said, according to Anadolu.
Updates shared through official government channels have also indicated that Netanyahu remains in Israel and continues to coordinate the country’s response to the ongoing conflict.