Is the Netanyahu café video an AI deepfake after claims he died? | Debunked

WorldPolitics
17 Mar 2026 • 12:54 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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A video of Benjamin Netanyahu buying coffee at a Jerusalem café sparked claims it was a deepfake after rumours spread that the Israeli prime minister had been killed or injured in an Iranian strike.

However, The Independent verified the clip by geolocating it to The Sataf in Jerusalem, reviewing the café’s Instagram stories, which showed Netanyahu arriving on Sunday afternoon.

Roughly two hours later, Netanyahu posted the same footage on his own social media channels, matching the timeline in the café’s posts.

There is no evidence the video was AI-generated.

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