A viral Facebook post claims Israel appointed Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin as interim prime minister to replace current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Claim
The claim stemmed from a Facebook post from an account called Headlines360.
“In a major political shift, Yariv Levin has been appointed as the interim Prime Minister of Israel, taking over the leadership role from Benjamin Netanyahu. This transition comes at a critical time for the nation as it navigates complex regional security challenges and internal legislative debates that could reshape the country’s future,” the post reads.
The Facts
The post only appears on the Headlines360 Facebook page. It did garner significant attention, as it was shared nearly 8,000 times and received more than 11,000 comments by Wednesday afternoon. However, there have been no official reports or announcements that Netanyahu has stepped down as prime minister, or that Levin has been named his replacement.
The post comes after social media posts claiming an Israeli broadcast showing Netanyahu with six fingers on one hand went viral over the weekend. Some argued it suggested the footage was generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as an incorrect number of fingers has been a sign content may be AI-generated. However, there have been no official reports that Netanyahu has died. Rumors appear to be merely social media speculation based on the video.
Newsweek previously fact-checked the claim that Netanyahu was seen with six fingers in the viral video, which appears to be an eight-minute broadcast, published online by the Israeli government on Friday. The earlier fact check concluded that this claim was false after a review of the broadcast footage by Newsweek, which shows Netanyahu with five fingers on his left hand.
Netanyahu has previously dismissed rumors of his death as “crazy.”
Netanyahu’s office previously told Newsweek the prime minister is “fine” and that rumors of his death are “fake news.”
Levin, 56, currently serves as Israel’s deputy prime minister and numerous other roles including the minister of justice, interior and religious service. He is a member of Netanyahu’s Likud political party.
Newsweek reached out to Netanyahu’s office for additional comment on the rumors on Wednesday afternoon.
The rumors come amid Israel’s ongoing war with Iran. The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28 after failed talks between the U.S. and Iran to address Iran’s nuclear program. The conflict continued on Wednesday as Israel has killed key Iranian leaders including Israel Esmaeil Khatib, Iran’s intelligence minister, and Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s National Security Council.
Strkes continued across the Middle East, with Israel launching strikes toward Beiruit; at least 10 people were killed in one unannounced strike. Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said they launched missiles at Israel in retaliation, killing two people near Tel Aviv. The civilian death toll continued to rise, with more than 1,300 deaths in Iran, 900 in Lebanon, 14 in Israel and 13 U.S. service members.
The Ruling
Claims that Levin has been named interim prime minister are false. The only source for the rumor appears to be the Facebook page, and no official statement has been made announcing a change in leadership.
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