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ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Even Benjamin Netanyahu's biggest backer, Donald Trump, doesn't believe him on claims of 'no starvation' in Gaza
For a man who is in the media each and every day, Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't give many interviews. But we now know his burger preferences. The Israeli prime minister has only done two press conferences in Israel since late last year, working the local press into a state of exasperation. His preferred method of messaging is through his office distributing pre-recorded video missives. It's this pattern of behaviour that made his appearance on a podcast late last week all the more jarring, not least because of how the discussion turned from military manoeuvring to the more mundane. When he sat down with the Nelk Boys, social media pranksters turned right-wing podcasters, Mr Netanyahu was asked what his "go-to" at McDonald's was. The Israeli prime minister shot back that Burger King was his fast-food purveyor of choice. "You know, the double …" he said, gesturing to suggest the thickness of the meat patty. "I like Burger King." One of the hosts retorted, "that was your worst take" — clearly, a fan of the golden arches. To be discussing such issues at a time when hundreds of thousands of Gazans were starving, many having not consumed a meal in days, can be seen as evidence of how detached Mr Netanyahu is from the realities in Gaza, and how such attitudes are commonplace in Israel, at least among the nation's politicians. Imagine the uproar in Australia if there was famine on its doorstep, and a prime minister was fielding questions about his Uber Eats order. But in Israel, the comments have barely caused a ripple. Benjamin Netanyahu is becoming more and more isolated on the world stage, as his rhetoric on the conditions in Gaza becomes more and more fanciful. While announcing an easing of restrictions on aid deliveries in the strip, following a total humanitarian blockade of Gaza in March and the establishment of private aid distribution in mid-May, the prime minister made a startling claim. "Israel is presented as though we are applying a campaign of starvation in Gaza," he told a Christian conference in Jerusalem on Sunday. "What a bold-faced lie. "There is no policy of starvation in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza." The reason that is startling is because of what is happening on the ground, less than 100 kilometres from Jerusalem. Babies, barely skin and bone, have been dying in their mothers' arms. Adults have been fainting in the street, unable to continue. Palestinian health authorities in Gaza have reported more than 140 deaths from starvation, and among them, more than 80 children. They make up a proportion of the more than 60,000 who have been killed during the war — a figure Israel disputes without providing its own data, but which experts believe is likely an under-reporting of the deaths. On Tuesday, the United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) issued an alert that corroborated almost everything humanitarian agencies had been saying for months. "The worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip," it said. Earlier that day, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Labor's caucus Israeli "claims that there's no starvation in Gaza are beyond comprehension." While Mr Netanyahu is unlikely to listen to the resident of The Lodge in Canberra, comments from the current occupant of the White House in Washington would be cause for concern. "Some of those kids are — that's real starvation stuff," US President Donald Trump said on Monday. "I see it, and you can't fake that." For Mr Trump, image is everything. The property mogul turned reality TV star turned politician understands the power of such scenes from a public relations perspective, if not from a humanitarian perspective, too. His statement suggested the ties binding the US administration and the Netanyahu government may be fraying, ever so slightly, even as the Israeli foreign minister tried to downplay it. "I believe it will be very hard to try to find gaps between Israel and the US in terms of policies, including with regards to Gaza Strip," Gideon Sa'ar said. The comments from the president won't carry much weight, however, unless he pressures his friend "Bibi" to change course — something not publicly clear at this stage, even as the pair differ on the state of suffering in Gaza. Benjamin Netanyahu's language is not that surprising when you listen to how others in Israel's political ranks talk. His comments play into the justified public anger directed at Hamas for its deadly attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the fact that the group still holds 50 Israelis captive. But it also appeals to his political base in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. Mr Netanyahu's national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir — a member of his coalition, from a smaller party propping up his government — has said far more incendiary things during 22 months of war. The firebrand, who has criminal convictions for supporting a terrorist organisation, has spoken in the past of bombing Hamas's food stores and has recently also denied that hunger is present across Gaza. He was furious with the decision of Mr Netanyahu to partially ease aid restrictions, saying he was cut out of the decision-making process. "Prime minister, stop the spitting in the face of our fighters!" he posted on social media platform X. Mr Ben-Gvir has repeatedly threatened to quit the government, and followed through on it when the last ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas was agreed to in mid-January. This time around, while venting his fury, he hasn't drafted his resignation letter. Mr Netanyahu is hoping that people like Mr Ben-Gvir and fellow right-winger Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, will consume his insistence that there's no starvation in Gaza with enthusiasm. His eagerness to please them, while yielding to international pressure to ease the crisis in Gaza, has become even more apparent as Israeli media starts reporting on his new plans for the future of the strip. The newspaper Haaretz said the prime minister wanted to present a plan to his cabinet to use the threat of annexation of Gaza as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Hamas. If Hamas doesn't agree to terms within days, Israel would start illegally seizing territory in the strip, bit by bit. The prime minister has faced accusations of prolonging the war to save his political career, pandering to that hard-line rump of his coalition. And while tens of thousands are taking to the streets of Israel every week to demand he agree to a ceasefire and hostage deal, there is also a large part of the Israeli community who agree. Even those wanting an end to the war have nothing but anger for Hamas over the situation the group has fuelled, and the suffering it has inflicted. Many Israelis do not see pictures of starvation in Gaza. The front page of some right-wing papers will feature photos of soldiers, without mention of emaciated babies. This is what Mr Netanyahu is banking on, as he makes such outlandish statements, hoping to find more Israeli friends in the Burger King camp than an international community demanding his scalp.
Middle East Eye
6 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Netanyahu slammed for joking about fast food on Nelk Boys podcast as Gaza starves
The Full Send Podcast is facing intense backlash on social media and has lost over 10,000 subscribers in less than a day after publishing an hour-long interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 21 July. The podcast, hosted by Kyle Forgeard and Aaron Steinberg of the Nelk Boys - a Canadian-American influencer collective known for its conservative-leaning content - is particularly popular among young men. The interview, which starts with Netanyahu praising US President Donald Trump and their "decades-long" friendship, quickly shifts to Netanyahu expressing alarm over shifting attitudes among young Americans towards Israel. "I'm concerned that the young people in America are getting the wrong picture of Israel," he says. He goes on to justify his podcast appearance as part of a broader image campaign: "The only way you can fight lies is with the truth. And you have to tell it as often and as intensely as the lies that are leveled against you... I'm doing this podcast among other things to reach young people." New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters As reports from humanitarian groups were confirming that children are dying of starvation in Gaza, Netanyahu appeared on the podcast to crack jokes about his longtime love of fast food: "I was a junk food junkie for many years," he said with a chuckle. 'Out of touch' He then went on to reminisce about an occasional visit to the US with his wife Sarah, saying: "You know what the first thing we did was? McDonald's. And to be honest, Burger King. I like Burger King more." The casual tone and detachment from the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza drew swift condemnation online. "As Gaza starves, Netanyahu jokes about McDonald's with 'manosphere' podcasters Nelk Boys. What a genocidal disgusting piece of shit," one user wrote on X. Children in Gaza show signs of malnutrition and abuse after detention in Israel Read More » "Imaging being the Nelk Boys [right now] total idiots. full access to Netanyahu, and the hardest hitting question they ask is 'do you prefer Burger King or McDonalds?' while Netanyahu starves an entire population," another user posted. In a tweet on X, One Path Network accused the Nelk Boys of helping to polish Netanyahu's image. "The Nelk Boys had an opportunity to challenge power, to ask about the siege, the bombings, the starvation. Instead, they offered him fries. In doing so, they helped launder the image of a man overseeing one of the worst humanitarian disasters of our time." Others said the interview was "the most out-of-touch interview", as Netanyahu shared how he enjoys eating burgers with Trump. "When President Trump comes to Israel. And then we have dinner, we bring this chef, he's like a very good chef. And he gives a seven-course dinner. Telling you, seven-course, it's the longest dinner I've ever had. And you know in this fancy plate he brings up this dressed up hamburger and I look at Trump and he looks at me. Finally we had what we wanted. We got the hamburger, you know," Netanyahu said. "the normalization of Netanyahu, the constant whitewashing of Israel's alleged war crimes... is why a man who has blood dripping from his be invited on to the Nelk Boys' highly influential podcast to jokes about whether he prefers McDonald's or Burger King." — Mobeen Hussain (@amhuss27) July 25, 2025 Scripted The interview also drew sharp backlash for a series of inflammatory remarks made by Netanyahu. Many were outraged by his description of women in Gaza, which he called as "property" during the podcast. "You know what the women in Gaza are? They're property. They're nothing. They have no rights. They're completely subjugated, and God forbid they're executed anytime they commit a so-called offense," he added. Some called the comments "disgusting" while another pointed out the irony. "Claiming to care about the rights of women in Gaza while bombing their homes, starving their children, and denying them access to healthcare and safety. There is no feminism in occupation. You can't liberate women by killing them." The final wave of backlash turned directly towards the Nelk Boys themselves, after a video clip went viral in which they admitted that the interview script had been written and provided by the White House - with no room for edits or input. Nelk boy admits he was given a "script" with questions to ask Netanyahu. This is idiot just confirmed they were doing straight propaganda for Israel — YeetTheRich_ (@_Yeet_The_Rich_) July 23, 2025 The revelation only intensified criticism that the entire episode is "sickening propoganda" that was orchestrated rather than a genuine conversation. "Why the actual FUCK is it not a bigger story that the White House Communications Team setup an interview with Benjamin Netanyahu and the fucking Nelk Boys? What in the name of propaganda is going on here?" asked a user. The Nelk Boys have confirmed that their softball interview with Benjamin Netanyahu was largely scripted as the PM's team had handed them "a paper with questions to ask" in advance. They also revealed the interview was set up by the White House. — Furkan Gözükara (@GozukaraFurkan) July 23, 2025 One person pointed out that the episode was a confirmation of what many had already suspected: "Now it's 100% proof that Netanyahu did this interview only to push propaganda and to try to humanize himself while he commits a genocide." Some called the Nelk Boys "puppets", while many also highlighted the fact that the Nelk Boys were unable to push back with Netanyahu throughout the hour-long interview. "The nelk boys were misinformed and unable to pushback to anything netanyahu said, making it easy for him to spew pure bs propaganda to a largely misinformed younger [audience]," one user wrote. "You guys didn't question him once, this is crazy," another added in the comments on YouTube. The Nelk Boys' YouTube channel lost over 10,000 subscribers within 24 hours of the episode's release on 21 July. The interview also received more dislikes than likes before the group disabled the visibility of the dislike count on the video.
The Guardian
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
As Gaza starves, Netanyahu natters about McDonald's with ‘manosphere' podcasters Nelk Boys
Gaza is starving. Nearly 100,000 women and children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, and a third of Gaza's population is going days without eating, according to an expert from the UN World Food Programme. Tons of food sits rotting in warehouses just outside Gaza but the government of Israel will not allow it to be freely delivered. Instead, starving Palestinians must contend with a real-life version of The Hunger Games to try and eat. Over 1,000 desperate Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli forces since the end of May trying to reach food distribution points run by the US – and the Israel-backed Gaza 'Humanitarian' Foundation. But enough about that, eh! Who wants to hear about starving babies who will either die painful deaths or never fully recover from the long-term consequences of malnutrition in early childhood? I'm sure what you really want to know is what Benjamin Netanyahu's favourite fast food order is. And, luckily, I've got some answers for you. On Monday Netanyahu, one of the main architects of Gaza's man-made mass starvation campaign, gave an hour-long interview to Nelk Boy members Kyle Forgeard and Aaron Steinberg on their Full Send Podcast. If you are not in their target demographic (a young man with right-leaning tendencies), you might not know much about the collection of media personalities known as the Nelk Boys, but they wield a lot of influence. They have more than 8.5m subscribers on YouTube and have interviewed Donald Trump multiple times. While they initially built a name for themselves as pranksters, they've now aligned themselves with the likes of self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate and went all-in on Trump's 2024 campaign. Some political scientists believe that they are partly responsible for Trump's second term. Indeed, the Nelk Boys, along with other 'manosphere'-adjacent podcasters such as Adin Ross, Theo Von and Joe Rogan, even got a shout out from UFC CEO Dana White at Trump's election night victory party. Benjamin Netanyahu on the fullsendpodcast LIVE at 12PM/EST How they brokered the Netanyahu interview is unclear, although an entrepreneur named Elkana Bar Eitan, who previously arranged a trip to Israel for the Nelk Boys, is claiming he suggested it in order to help 'convey pro-Israel messages to a younger audience'. You can watch the entire inane 70 minutes for yourself if you want to sacrifice some braincells and get served annoying ads for sports betting and cryptocurrency. But the 'too long; didn't listen' summary of the conversation is that Netanyahu touched on all his preferred talking points and lied continuously without any pushback. He started by sucking up to Trump – something he's very skilled at – praising the US president's sense of humour and sharing the fact that his wife, Sara, told him that Trump 'is a good person with a good heart'. He claimed that most civilian casualties in Gaza are Hamas's fault and, engaging in a little pinkwashing, said that it was nonsensical for women and gay people to support Gaza: 'It's like chickens for KFC, right?' He also said that everyone in Gaza wants to be transferred to another country, and falsely claimed that Hamas isn't letting them leave. He also said Hamas is responsible for the fact Gaza is starving. And then he pivoted to the topic of Zohran Mamdani (he's not a fan) before spending a lot of time talking about Iran. But don't worry, this tour-de-force of hard-hitting journalism was interspersed with lighter moments like when the Nelk Boys asked what Netanyahu's favourite McDonald's order is and Netanyahu replied that he preferred Burger King. 'That's your worst take, I think,' Steinberg responded jokingly. Hilarious, right? It's just side-splittingly funny that kids are dying of starvation in Gaza thanks to a man who is a big fan of Whoppers. If Steinberg wants to see some more of Netanyahu's 'bad takes', I strongly suggest he look up a few things the prime minister has said about Palestinians. In 2001, for example, Netanyahu said his approach to Palestinians is that you should: 'Beat them up, not once but repeatedly, beat them up so it hurts so badly, until it's unbearable.' Of course, that would require the Nelk Boys doing any research before having Netanyahu on. 'I see so much stuff about what's going on in Israel and Iran and Palestine, and to be honest, I just really don't know what is going on there,' Forgeard said. I think we all saw that. Netanyahu made it very clear why he was on the podcast, stating that he was sitting down with the Nelk Boys 'to reach young people'. After almost two years of carnage which has left over 17,000 children dead, support for Israel is dropping, particularly among young Americans. Whether Netanyahu achieved what he wanted from the useful idiots interviewing him is unclear. And while the Nelk Boys received a lot of publicity for the interview, I'm not sure they're happy with the backlash they're getting. They've lost more than 100,000 subscribers in less than a day and the comment section isn't exactly flattering. (One of the top YouTube comments says: 'Holy shit this is insane. War criminal. You will be remembered for centuries for this interview.') The Nelk Boys, meanwhile, are doing their best to defend themselves. They jumped on a stream with leftwing podcaster Hasan Piker after the Netanyahu interview to explain they know the Israeli prime minister was trying to promote his actions, and that's fine because that's what everyone does on podcasts. 'Benjamin Netanyahu isn't promoting a book, he's promoting a genocide,' Piker replied. They've also admitted 'we're probably not the best at asking questions.' Perhaps the Nelk Boys shouldn't feel so bad. Large swathes of the mainstream media seem to have little interest in hearing the Palestinian point of view or pushing back against Israeli propaganda. One analysis of media coverage found that US cable shows displayed consistent anti-Palestinian bias and went for months without speaking to a single Palestinian. When Ta-Nehisi Coates went on the media circuit to discuss his new book, The Message, one section of which criticizes Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank, he was smeared as an extremist by CBS Mornings' Tony Dokoupil. Despite winning an Oscar, no major US distributor would touch No Other Land, the Palestinian-Israeli documentary which looks at how the Israeli government is trying to force Palestinians from their homes in the southern West Bank. While peacefully waving a Palestinian flag or speaking up for Palestinians can have you threatened with arrest in the UK or deportation from the US, accused war criminals are getting the kid-gloves treatment. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant of arrest for Netanyahu for crimes against humanity and war crimes. In a just world, this would make him a pariah. Instead, the ICC arrest warrant, which is still active, has been swept under the rug. It rarely comes up in news reports that mention the prime minister of Israel, and it hasn't stopped US politicians cheerfully hobnobbing with him. Even the likes of Cory Booker, who postures as some sort of civil rights activist, posed for photos with Netanyahu earlier this month. I'm pointing all this out because the normalization of Netanyahu, the constant whitewashing of Israel's alleged war crimes by 'respectable' figures, is why a man who has blood dripping from his hands, a man who is responsible for what many experts say 'is the worst humanitarian situation they have ever seen', can be invited onto the Nelk Boys' highly influential podcast to natter about whether he prefers McDonalds or Burger King. While condemnation of Israel's actions has increased in recent months, the media still often presents what is happening as a response to 7 October 2023, rather than looking at the broader historical context. Israel weaponized food long before 7 October. In 2008, for example, Israeli authorities calculated the minimum caloric intake necessary for Palestinians to avoid malnutrition so they could limit the amount of food into Gaza without causing a famine. For decades Israel has controlled almost every aspect of Palestinian lives and stripped them of every facet of human dignity; today, people in Gaza are not even allowed to dip their feet in the sea. So while the Nelk Boys interview is unpleasant listening, it's not some fratty podcasters asking a man who should be in the Hague what his favourite burger is who are the real problem. It's decades of the mainstream media systematically dehumanizing Palestinians. As an apocalyptic Gaza starves, there are a lot of politicians and journalists in the US who should be asking themselves how they helped pave the way for a genocide to happen.
USA Today
24-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ilia Topuria willing to vacate UFC belt before giving Arman Tsarukyan shot; gets response
UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria insists he won't give Arman Tsarukyan a shot at his title. Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) claimed the vacant belt by knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 earlier this month. He awaits his next title challenger, who he thinks will end up being either Justin Gaethje or Paddy Pimblett. Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) was the No. 1 contender, but after withdrawing from his title fight against Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 just a day before the fight, Dana White said he needs to work his way back. Topuria thinks Tsarukyan would be an unreliable opponent. "Listen, when you put so much effort in the game, and you have a guy in front who you don't know that maybe he could pull out from the fight, that's not something good for us," Topuria told the Nelk Boys. "It's not, 'Ah, my back!' Bro, I don't f*cking care." Topuria went as far as saying he'd vacate the belt before fighting Tsarukyan. "They are going to give him a fight before the title shot because there is no way – I'm the world champion, I'm never going to give him a chance to fight for the title," Topuria said. "I will be like, listen, if that's the case, take my belt. I don't do it." Tsarukyan responded by mocking Topuria for his mindset. "Imagine calling yourself a champion, but you're already looking for a way out. You can vacate it, or I'll take it. Either way, it's mine."
Asharq Al-Awsat
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Netanyahu: We Will Not Stop War Until Hamas Lays Down its Arms
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened that the war on the Gaza Strip will not stop unless Hamas declares its complete surrender. 'The minute Hamas lays down its arms and surrenders, maybe we will let them leave, that's the end of the war,' Netanyahu said in an interview, which dropped on the Nelk Boys' 'Full Send Podcast' on Monday. Netanyahu's statements confirm that the PM has a set of conditions that make any ceasefire agreement in Gaza difficult and complicated. He also seemed to be replying to a statement by the UK and 24 western nations, including France, Canada, Australia and Italy, that called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza as Israel launched fresh attacks on the central city of Deir al-Balah. The countries' joint statement on Monday said the war 'must end now' and it warned that the 'suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths.' When asked what his message to Palestinians, who want to have a peaceful life, was, the PM replied: 'Get rid of Hamas.' Israel insists on continuing the war on Hamas until the movement surrenders, despite the complexities and cost of the standoff in Gaza. During a rare 'multi-front situational assessment' at the Glilot intelligence base — the first of its kind in nearly two years — Israeli Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the ongoing campaign against Hamas in Gaza is 'one of the most complex' the army has ever faced. According to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Zamir said 'the army is required to operate offensively on multiple fronts alongside vital defense in each sector and on the borders.' He added: 'We will continue to act to achieve our objectives: the return of the hostages and the collapse of Hamas.' Zamir stressed that the army will also continue to weaken and prevent strategic capabilities from Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon and preserve its freedom of action. Regarding Iran, after last month's 12-day war, Zamir said: 'Iran and its axis remain in our sights; the campaign against Iran isn't over.' He did not say what Israel's plans are in Gaza, but hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told a pro-settler conference on Tuesday that Zamir told him last week that Israel needs to annex the north of the Gaza Strip for security purposes. Meanwhile, the Yedioth Ahronoth reported that while dozens of western nations called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza on Monday, a 'Gaza Riviera' conference was being held in the Knesset where MPs openly discussed intentions to annex the coastal enclave, rebuild settlements there and turn it into a tourist destination. The newspaper said European Union Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas issued an 'explicit threat' to Israel, stating that 'the killing of civilians seeking aid in Gaza is indefensible.' Kallas added: 'All options are on the table if Israel does not fulfill its commitments. I spoke again with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to remind him of our agreement regarding aid flow - and to clarify that the Israeli army must stop killing people at distribution points.'
