After weeks of tension the United States and Israel attacked Iran in the last week of February, sparking conflict in the region and online.

Since then, rumors surrounding the conflict have spread on major social media platforms. Some particularly viral claims focused on the whereabouts of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with some claiming that the 76-year-old had fled Israel and that family members were living a life of luxury abroad.

DW Fact check reveals what is true and what is not.

Did Netanyahu flee to Germany?

Claim: Pictures taken at Berlin airport show the official Israeli government airplane "Wing of Zion" standing on the runway. Shortly after the plane's arrival, a TikTok user claimed: "So Netanyahu has officially fled to Germany." The video, which also uses flight data as proof, generated over two million views.

DW Fact check: Misleading

As flight data and media reports show, the Israeli government plane did indeed land in Berlin on the evening of Saturday, February 28 — but Netanyahu was not on board. 

An unnamed German government official told the Reuters news agency that the plane had landed in Germany for its own safety, adding that only crew members were on board and the flight had been registered in advance by the Israeli government. The plane has made similar trips away from Israel during previous escalations of conflicts.

While the plane was in Berlin, Netanyahu had various appointments in Israel, including a meeting with senior IDF and Mossad commanders in Tel Aviv on March 1 and a well-documented visit to the site of an Iranian missile strike in Beit Shemesh, a suburb of Jerusalem, on March 2.

The author of the TikTok video in question later added a correction in which she clarified that Netanyahu was not abord the plane. But the viral video was already online generating millions of clicks and views and being repeated by multiple users on both TikTok and X.

Some users took the claims even further, speculating as to where exactly in Berlin Netanyahu was allegedly staying.

Is Netanyahu's son in Miami?

Claim: While Americans as well as Israelis lose their lives in the Middle East, Netanyahu's family is living a life of luxury in Miami. That's what a post with almost 6 million views on X claims. The post reads: "Netanyahu's son is living in a luxury apartment in Miami with $680,000/year in state-funded personal security. Meanwhile, Americans are dying for Israel in the Middle East." 

Photos of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's son Yair Netanyahu by a pool and on a balcony in light clothing are used in several posts to support the arguments.

DW Fact check: Misleading

Yair Netanyahu is not on holiday in Miami. A Reverse Image Search using Google Lense revealed that the images of Yair by the pool have been in circulation for at least two years.

Responding to the allegations, Yair Netanyahu himself posted a selfie from Jerusalem on his personal X account saying: "I'm in Israel right now — not at the beach in Miami."

Editor: Matt Ford