A short video of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky talking before the funeral of American Senator Lindsey Graham in Washington went viral in the past 24 hours, sparking a wave of antisemitic conspiracy theories on social media.
It was the first time in nearly three years that Netanyahu and Zelensky were seen talking face-to-face. But instead of generating purely political interest, the footage was seized on by antisemitic actors online who spread claims that the two are “planning World War III” or operating as part of a “global Jewish conspiracy.”
One antisemitic response to the video read: “Two Jewish-Zionist regimes, Israel and Ukraine, are funded by Americans who work one to three jobs,” with commenters mocking: “Americans need to work.”
The meeting came against a backdrop of rising tensions between Ukraine and Iran. Earlier this week, Ukrainian forces reportedly attacked Iranian vessels in the Caspian Sea, while Tehran accused Kyiv of acting on Israel’s behalf and threatened retaliation with ballistic missiles.