5/12/26: Bibi Blames Social Media For Anti-Israel Criticism, Derek Thompson On Billionaire AI Takeover

Netanyahu attributes declining U.S. support for Israel to social media manipulation, while Israel bars critics and faces backlash over new reports of sexual violence by its forces. The episode also features Derek Thompson discussing surging AI revenue, data center challenges, and broader economic anxieties.

Netanyahu on Social Media and Declining U.S. Support

Benjamin Netanyahu, in a 60 Minutes interview, linked falling American backing for Israel—especially among conservatives—to social media's rise. He claimed foreign actors, like those in Pakistan, use bots and fake accounts (e.g., posing as "red-blooded Texans") to erode sympathy and the U.S.-Israel alliance. Hosts Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti criticized this as implying Americans are too gullible to form independent views, ignoring real events like Gaza's humanitarian crisis and discourse controls in the U.S. Netanyahu framed it as an "eighth front" in Israel's multi-front war, alongside physical battles.