Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Iran “put a price” on his and US President Donald Trump’s head in a sit-down interview with the Nelk Boys’ Full Send podcast released on Monday.
This comes after Netanyahu asserted that Iran was behind the two previous assassination attempts on Donald Trump and attempted a drone strike on his own bedroom window. With his wife, Sara, and three adult children, Netanyahu said he recognized the danger and burden that comes with being a part of the prime minister’s family.
“My biggest regret is that my wife and two boys have to suffer the slings and arrows of public life,” he said. “I chose public life, but when Sarah married me she did not choose this.”
The hour-long interview, conducted by pro-Trump hosts Kyle Forgeard and Aaron Steinberg, gave Netanyahu an opportunity to reach a younger audience. They covered everything from Middle East geopolitics to fast-food burger chains, and Netanyahu underscored the success of the joint attack launched on Iran’s nuclear program by Israel and the US.
He likened Iranian aggression to “lumps of cancer” that he and Trump had “removed.” Though the cancer “might come back,” there are no active concerns since the June 24 ceasefire and US-Israel relations remain strong.
“There’s never been a friend like Donald Trump in the White House for Israel,” Netanyahu said. “He said he’ll make America great again – he’s already done it.”
This glowing review of the American president aligns with what Netanyahu agreed is a “bromance” between the two world leaders. Netanyahu also claimed that he and Trump agree on most topics that would’ve instigated “severe disagreements” with former president Joe Biden.
Correcting misconceptions among young Americans
The main reason Netanyahu appeared on the Nelk Boys podcast, he said, was to dismantle misconceptions about Israel amongst young Americans.
“I’m concerned that the young people in America are getting the wrong picture of Israel: vilification and demonization,” he said. “How do you fight lies? You tell the truth and you have to tell it as often and as intensely as the lies that are leveled against you.”
He took aim at popular activist slogans, such as “Gays for Gaza,” which he likened to “Chickens for KFC.” Netanyahu contrasted Israel’s pluralistic, LGBTQ-inclusive society with Hamas-controlled Gaza, where he said such rights are nonexistent.
This is only one of many claimed misconceptions that Netanyahu came onto the podcast to discuss. Addressing the war with Hamas, Netanyahu said Israel’s current military actions in Gaza are solely a response to the October 7 attacks and are intended to remove Hamas from power. The trio went on to discuss the lengths that Israeli forces are required to go to to spare Palestinian civilian life.
“We send them leaflets, millions of leaflets, saying please leave,” he said, adding that Hamas typically takes no such measures. Hamas “says ‘we want you to stay because we want to have civilian casualties’ because then they can show it on CNN or all these other networks and claim that Israel is deliberately doing this.”
However, the prime minister said that misconceptions about Israel and the Jewish people stretch beyond just the Middle East. Netanyahu went on to condemn New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani for antisemitic rhetoric and “stupid” plans for the city.
“A lot of people have been taken in by this nonsense,” he said. “I’m obviously not happy with it, but I’m less concerned with it because I think if we can speak the truth to the young people of America, they wise up pretty quickly.”
When asked why he’s “hated worldwide,” Netanyahu claimed that that too was a misjudgment, attributing any negative public opinion on his leadership as “propaganda.”
Use of force in the Iran war
In shifting the conversation back to wartime in Israel, Netanyahu drew on his experience as a special forces soldier in the IDF. He emphasized that while war is tragic, it is sometimes unavoidable, recounting his involvement in a 1972 hostage rescue at the Tel Aviv airport and the loss of his brother Yoni during a famous mission in Entebbe, Uganda.
“You should use force very judiciously because life is precious and war is hell,” he said. “But sometimes you have no choice but to fight for your survival and for the future of your country – that’s what my brother did.”
Netanyahu further noted that peace with Iran’s current regime is unlikely if not impossible, but peace with the Iranian people themselves is on the table if they overthrow their leaders.
“Eighty percent of them want to throw these theological thugs out,” he said. “Ultimately, I think it’s up to the people of Iran to rise up against their tormentors, and I think there’s a possibility it will happen.”
The Nelk Boys interview concluded with a final urge from Netanyahu for everyone, especially young people, to come to Israel as he believes it is the only way to really understand the regional conflicts in a holistic sense.
Public backlash following the interview
While this interview gave Netanyahu the space to openly discuss a myriad of contested topics, it was not overwhelmingly well received by viewers. Nelk Boys subscribers took to the comments to bash Netanyahu, claiming that he was using the Nelk Boys’ typically-unserious platform to spout disinformation and propaganda without restrictions.
Many fans went on to say that the podcast had lost credibility by hosting Netanyahu without a more challenging interview format. Other commenters said they were disappointed in the podcasters for openly admitting to a lack of knowledge and preparation when interviewing Netanyahu.
“We are so not qualified to do this,” Forgeard said. “I see so much stuff about what’s going on in Israel and Iran and Palestine, and to be honest, I just really don’t know what is going on there.”
As a result, the Nelk Boys channel lost over 10,000 subscribers in the 24 hours after the episode was published.