Fact Check: Social media posts falsely tie Netanyahu to Haley Stevens' Senate endorsement
LANSING, MICHIGAN: Amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States, a rumor is circulating on social media platforms claiming that the Israeli leader has endorsed Michigan Democratic candidate Haley Stevens for the Senate. The claim has sparked criticism and speculation, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed Haley Stevens
The claim spread in the form of a political campaign poster featuring Stevens and Netanyahu, featuring a quote by the Israeli leader allegedly stating, “Haley Stevens is a strong leader, a dedicated public servant, and a true friend of Israel.”
Recently, Stevens clashed in a debate with her opponent over the US support for Israel, after which the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and groups affiliated with it have spent nearly $30 million to help Stevens defeat her Democratic primary opponent, Abdul El-Sayed.
This is the largest investment AIPAC has ever made in a single election.
The claim about Netanyahu’s endorsement has been shared multiple times, indicating that many believe it to be authentic.
Fact Check: Benjamin Netanyahu made no such endorsements
The claim, however, is false, as there is no credible evidence of the Israeli leader making such an endorsement.
There are no official statements or announcements from Netanyahu in support of Stevens. A search on Google for the claim and the alleged quote yielded no relevant results from prominent news media outlets.
An analysis of the image using OpenAI’s verification tool, which detects invisible watermarks embedded into the generated media, confirmed that the image was likely edited or created using its AI models.
A spokesperson for the candidate said that the image depicting a promotional poster of Stevens endorsed by Netanyahu is fake and generated using AI.
The claim coincided with Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to US
The claim surfaced amid Netanyahu’s visit to the US, marking his seventh meeting with President Donald Trump since he began his second term, and comes amid renewed concerns over Iran following recent military confrontations in the region.
In addition to his White House meetings, Netanyahu attended the funeral of the late Sen Lindsey Graham, whom he has described as "one of Israel's greatest friends."
The late senator was widely regarded as one of Israel's strongest allies in the US Senate, and Netanyahu's attendance underscores the close ties they shared over the years.
