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Joe Kent’s resignation and Netanyahu’s unexplained absences are fueling doubts about who truly directs both US and Israeli policy. Speculation over influence networks, AI-edited videos, and non-transparent decision-making is spreading. Amid war with Iran, uncertainty itself is a major geopolitical risk.
Written by Uriel Araujo, Anthropology PhD, is a social scientist specializing in ethnic and religious conflicts, with extensive research on geopolitical dynamics and cultural interactions
Who is governing Israel? And who is running US foreign policy? These are no longer fringe questions: they may soon emerge as part of the mainstream debate, driven by a convergence of anomalies, and a widening credibility gap in wartime narratives. For one thing, Joe Kent, a top US counterterrorism official, has resigned, while openly criticizing the Iran war and pointing fingers at what he described as undue influence shaping US policy – thus raising serious questions about the decision-making chain in Washington at a moment of global risk.
In parallel, analysts have increasingly pointed to figures such as Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff as key intermediaries shaping US President Donald Trump’s Middle East approach. They are often portrayed as feeding the White House a particular interpretation of events, one that typically aligns closely with Israeli strategic priorities. This perception has amplified a renewed scrutiny of the so-called “Israel lobby,” a serious enough topic that is now back in circulation in policy debates.
Anti-semitic conspiracy theories aside, with all the ongoing global repercussions, it has become quite clear by now that, even from an American perspective, Trump has taken an ill-advised decision by joining the Israeli military operation against Iran. Given the ongoing Epstein controversy it is only natural that speculations about political blackmail are on the rise.
If Washington’s rationale appears opaque, to say the least, Tel Aviv’s one is no less puzzling. Moreover, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been notably absent from a number of high-level security meetings during such a critical phase of the Iran conflict. No wonder then that such an absence has quickly triggered a wave of speculations.
Rumors of the Prime Minister being under some kind of inner circle “palace coup” or of his death (by Iranian strike) or hospitalization spread rapidly, fueled by social media and a series of controversial “proof of life” videos released by his office that are clearly backfiring. The fact that, for some reason, some of the videos published by his social media account have signs of being AI created or AI edited certainly does not help dispel rumors.
In one clip, commentators have noticed an apparent sixth finger, which would be typical of AI-generated imagery struggling with hands.
In another video, allegedly filmed at Sataf Café in Jerusalem’s hills, released precisely to debunk such claims, a coffee cup full to the brim clearly defies basic physics: the liquid in the mug appears unnaturally still with the surface staying flat. This has been attributed to video compression or lighting. In a follow-up video, this time Netanyahu’s wedding ring on his finger briefly vanishes mid-motion before reappearing. This supposedly could also be explained by video degradation.
More recently, yet another “proof of life” clip has been published, this time showing Netanyahu talking with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. In this case, the Prime Minister’s left ear strangely has what clearly appears to be two ear canals, plus a mismatched earlobe structure (compared to public photos of the Israeli leader). This one might be the most bizarre and the most difficult one to explain away as just some video glitch, strongly indicating AI use for whatever reason. The anomaly has gone viral on social media but so far has been underreported in mainstream media.
Again, fact-checkers have largely dismissed these as compression glitches, lighting issues, or other optical illusions. The feeling that something is “fishy” and the suspicions persist, however: it is true that in an era of deepfakes and information warfare, even authentic footage, over-scrutinized, can appear dubious enough to undermine confidence.
Be as it may, such doubts are not necessarily paranoid: during crises or wartime truth is one the first casualties. Franklin D. Roosevelt relied heavily on a wheelchair in private but almost never appeared in public this way, with choreographed public appearances – just as Woodrow Wilson’s 1919 stroke had been concealed. In Brazil, the 1985 case of Tancredo Neves remains controversial to this day, with suspicions that official images of him hospitalized may have been staged after his death.
More recently, former President Joe Biden’s apparent senility and temporary disappearance also sparked questions about a cover-up and about who was effectively governing – with reports of a “triumvirate” of advisers calling the shots. Today, Trump’s own health and cognitive state is under scrutiny.
Thus, speculation about Netanyahu’s whereabouts is in fact a rather predictable reaction to an information vacuum.
Of course, all of it does not necessarily mean that he is dead or wounded (he has given at least one press conference in recent days), and a number of things could be going on here. More conventional explanations remain plausible: Israeli wartime decision-making for one thing is reportedly increasingly fragmented across multiple bodies, including smaller inner circles and military command structures. Leaders may thus skip formal meetings while engaging in parallel consultations with security chiefs. Perhaps internal disagreements could be unfolding, also: there have been reports of tensions between Netanyahu and military leadership.
Moreover, personal security concerns may also play a role here: avoiding an Iranian missile strike is a priority, which is in itself embarrassing enough for the leader of a country that once boasted of its “Iron Dome” air defenses.
In any case, both in Washington and Tel Aviv, decision-making appears increasingly less transparent, more fragmented, and often contradictory.
This uncertainty is not trivial. The ongoing war with Iran, far from being a localized conflict, threatens global energy markets, trade routes, and financial stability worldwide. Markets react not only to events but to perceptions, and, right now, conspiracies aside, things do not look good.
Israel has been growing more isolated, amid reports of genocide in Gaza. By enabling this and joining the dangerous campaign in Iran, the American superpower too looks increasingly erratic and unreliable.
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no question–all us americunts pay billions to swallow hebrew jizz
benzion beelzebub wore the ring, and the ring disappeared. frodo wore the ring when the nazgul monstered him. they both disappeared but stirred up the dark lord who could sense the ring 💍 (😀)
benzion beelzebub did not disappear! ! it has now happened. the antichrist has returned.
roll out the red heifers quickly. it’s all gone off script ! !
there is a red heifer stationed at a military base in iraqi kurdistan. this heifer will be sacrificed in iran. the one to be sacrificed in gaza is still in florida, grazing on the golf course where marco rubio and dump play golf. until they take over gaza and iran, the missile pilots will with rockets to sacrifice iranian girls. joe kent said he was willing to kill civilians but refused to sacrifice girls and red heifers to pagan gods and join heretics.