Fact Check: Does Yair's social media break suggest that father Benjamin Netanyahu is dead?

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL: Amid the escalating tensions in the Middle East, a claim has been going viral online that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu died on March 8. Following this, his son, Yair Netanyahu, took a seven-day break from social media, which corresponds with the Jewish mourning period. Let us analyze the rumor and fact-check it.

Claim: Benjamin Netanyahu died on March 8

As the social media spaces are flooding with claims about Netanyahu’s death, who is said to have died in an Iranian airstrike, a new claim has surfaced about the same. 

This time, the claim is based on the absence of Netanyahu’s son, Yair, from social media. He has not posted anything for seven days, despite being active until then.

The claim is amplified with the rumor that the seven-day period lines up with the Jewish Shiva mourning period.

The different variants of the claim have been spread by social media accounts, alleging that the Israeli leader has died.

Fact Check: False, Jewish mourning period does not mandate social media blackout

Shiva is Hebrew for ‘seven’ and signifies seven days of mourning following someone's demise.

However, the religious practice encourages stepping away from secular distractions, but it does not mandate a complete technological blackout.

According to guidelines from Reform Judaism, communication with those in mourning is permitted and sometimes encouraged.

The religious text notes, "It is proper and comforting to write a card or note if you cannot be present. If you were close to the deceased, mourners would usually also welcome a phone call."

Yair Netanyahu resumes activity as death rumours continue

While Yair has not actively posted since he's been back, he has reposted several social media posts on his profile. The most recent post, at the time of writing, is from a day ago. 

“Dear world, are you watching? This is what we are fighting against — an Islamic terrorist regime that fires missiles with cluster warheads to kill entire families in their homes. The world must stand with Israel against this evil,” the post reads.

Earlier rumors about Netanyahu’s death included widespread claims that his videos were AI-generated, so that Israeli officials could hide the truth.