Netanyahu’s ‘Spontaneous’ Visit to Jerusalem Mall Features Pre-Selected Crowd Wearing Black Wristbands

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a seemingly spontaneous visit to the Malha Mall in Jerusalem, where he recorded a video showing passersby warmly greeting him with chants like "Our beloved Prime Minister." However, a closer look revealed that all the supporters in the video were wearing identical black paper wristbands, suggesting they had been carefully pre-screened before filming. Even children in the crowd wore these wristbands.

In the video, Netanyahu shakes hands, talks to children, and poses for photos while hearing chants such as "Bibi, I love you," "Number 1," and "Our dear Prime Minister, thank you." He addresses the camera, saying, "We have a wonderful people. It’s good to meet them here. I met mothers who brought their children, Arabs and Jews, IDF disabled veterans, and a child who wanted a photo." Despite the warm atmosphere, the uniform wristbands raise questions about the spontaneity of the encounter, indicating at least partial orchestration.

Neither the Prime Minister’s office nor the Likud party responded to inquiries about the wristbands or the visit’s nature. Opposition lawmakers criticized the event sharply. Merav Ben Ari of the Yesh Atid party accused Netanyahu of staging the meeting with a compliant, pre-selected audience, contrasting it with genuine public engagement. She said, "For months Netanyahu has only met soldiers, police, and security personnel who are not allowed to speak freely. Suddenly, he strolls through Malha Mall like an ordinary person. I hoped he was trying to be authentic, but with Bibi, it’s all a big fake. He picked the crowd, marked them with black wristbands, and ‘met’ them. I hope one day he will sit with people who think differently from him."