Netanyahu busts death rumors with video, jokes about ‘five fingers’ as war tensions escalate

In a pointed rebuttal to viral conspiracy theories, Benjamin Netanyahu on March 17 released yet another video asserting he is very much alive—this time alongside Mike Huckabee, in a mix of humor, defiance, and wartime messaging.

“I am alive,” Netanyahu said with a smile, before taking aim at one of the more bizarre online claims questioning the authenticity of his recent appearances. “We shake hands with five fingers in each hand,” he quipped, mocking speculation that earlier footage showed an AI-generated version of him with a “sixth finger.”

The video shows Netanyahu strolling and chatting with Huckabee, who added to the theatrics by joking that Donald Trump had sent him to personally verify the Israeli leader’s well-being.
“Mr Prime Minister, I want you to know the President asked me to come and make sure you were okay,” Huckabee said. “Yes, Mike. Yes, I’m alive,” Netanyahu responded.

While the exchange leaned into humor, the undertone remained firmly rooted in the ongoing conflict. At one point, Netanyahu made a stark remark: “Today, I erased two names on the punch card,” an apparent reference to Israeli claims of eliminating senior Iranian figures, including Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, in recent strikes—deaths later confirmed by Iranian sources.

The clip is the latest in a series of public appearances by Netanyahu aimed at countering a wave of misinformation. Earlier videos showed him at a café, addressing briefings, and interacting with civilians, each reinforcing his presence amid intensifying speculation.

In one such café video, he brushed off the rumors with characteristic sarcasm: “I’m dying for coffee—do you want to count the number of fingers?”

The conspiracy theories gained traction after social media users flagged what they claimed was an “extra finger” in a prior video—often cited as a telltale flaw in AI-generated imagery. The narrative snowballed further with doctored images depicting Netanyahu as injured, coupled with the social media silence of his son, Yair Netanyahu.

Israeli authorities have consistently dismissed the claims as baseless. The Prime Minister’s Office labeled them “fake news,” while Israeli ambassador Reuven Azar alleged the rumors were part of a coordinated disinformation campaign linked to Iran.

Even as the online chatter persists, Netanyahu’s repeated on-camera appearances signal a calculated effort to project control—both over the narrative and the escalating conflict.