Netanyahu Accused Of Mocking Eisenkot's Slain Son In…

On June 3, 2024, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party released an AI-generated campaign video targeting Yashar party leader and former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot. The video depicted an animated version of Eisenkot running toward a young man wearing a shirt labeled "Israeli unity" before veering away to embrace the leader of the Arab Ra'am party, Mansour Abbas.

What happened

Following the video's release, social media users alleged that the young man depicted in the ad bore a striking resemblance to Gal Eisenkot, the late son of Gadi Eisenkot, who was killed in a Gaza tunnel explosion in December 2023 while serving as a reservist. The perceived insensitivity triggered immediate condemnation from political figures, including former Likud minister Limor Livnat and former IDF spokesman Avi Benayahu, who criticized the campaign for its tone and timing.

Netanyahu’s team denied any intentional connection between the character and Eisenkot’s son, stating that the young man was never explicitly identified. Despite the denial, the Likud party subsequently released a revised version of the video in which the young man was replaced by a woman. In a statement accompanying the edited clip, Netanyahu dismissed the backlash as a "shocking attempt by extremists online to create false conspiracy theories" intended to obscure his political messaging regarding Eisenkot’s potential alliances with non-Zionist parties. In response, the Yashar party published a supercut highlighting past instances of Likud politicians expressing positive sentiments toward Mansour Abbas.