Netanyahu’s 'five finger' cafe video to quash death rumours sparks new AI claims; coffee shop shares PROOF he was there

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's official social media page shared a video on him at a coffee shop amid rumours about his death. The video was an attempt by the Israeli government to quash specualtions about the PM's well being. The video was shared after Netanyahu's office in a statement confirmed to a Turkey-based news agency that he is “fine” and the rumours are fake. However, the video raised more questions, further complicating the saga of speculation amid Iran war.

In the video that was intended to debunk the social media rumours, Netanyahu was heard saying a Hebrew pun, "dead... for coffee" - a phrase meaning he really loves it. He then showed both of his hands to the camera, counting his five fingers on each, in a direct response to conspiracy theories that a TV address of his was AI generated video as it showed six fingers. The video showed him ordering and sipping a beverage at the Sataf coffee shop in the Jerusalem Hills.

Despite the video, ongoing controversy about his wellbeing was fanned further after some social media users flooded the comment section of the Israeli PM pointing out the moments and minutes of the video that appeared AI generated. Soon, as the chatter increased on social media platform X, AI chatbots Grok picked the explanations by the users and added a note to the video stating that it looks “deepfake” or “AI generated.” This despite the Prime Minister’s Office stating that he is alive and managing security operations.

Users pointed to several perceived glitches to support their claims in the video. Some claimed the coffee in the cup appeared to defy gravity when tilted. Sharing screenshots of Netanyahu's face shape at various points in the video, users claimed that it shifted from round to oval when he looked down. Some users also shared that a customer behind the counter wearing a mask and glasses, calling it "suspicious" for a cafe setting and other noted the date on the receipt machine was March 13, 2024. Some also said that there was something off with the way in which he held the coffee glass and the way in which he put his hand inside the pocket of his jacket.

Official response from the Israeli Prime Minister's office states that “PM is fine”. As social media speculations increased and rumour mills went wild, the coffee shop, The Sataf – Jerusalem, posted its own photos and videos of the visit by Netanyahu and confirmed in its caption that he indeed visited on Mar 15. Reuters verified the video's location from file imagery of the cafe, which matched the interiors seen in ​the video. Netanyahu, ​who rarely gives ⁠interviews to Israeli press or holds news conferences, convened his first press conference since the start of the war ​via a video link on Thursday, a similar format ​to the ⁠one he used in June during Israel's 12-day war with Iran. Earlier when Iran claimed that his office was hit, he appeared in a video interview with US-based Fox News. As the war began on Mar 3, social media claims also emerged alleging that Netanyahu has fled to Germany.

(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)