Netanyahu Uses AI Video to Warn of 'Trojan Horse' Threat in Israeli Government Formation

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the controversy sparked by Ra'am party leader Mansour Abbas's recent remarks with a provocative AI-generated video. Published on August 26, 2026, the video depicts former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman riding a wooden Trojan horse labeled "Government of Israel." Hidden inside the horse are Mansour Abbas and Democratic Union leader Yair Golan, smiling and signaling to each other, implying covert influence within a future government.

Netanyahu accompanied the video with the caption "Trojan Horse," suggesting that a government led by his political rivals could secretly rely on Abbas's support. The video concludes with a message stating that Eizenkot would form a government with Golan and ultra-Orthodox parties. This visual metaphor aims to warn voters that the coalition they see might conceal unexpected alliances.

The video was released amid a heated political storm following Abbas's comments in Arabic about accepting Israel as a Jewish state to avoid Ra'am's disqualification from the upcoming 25th Knesset elections. These remarks triggered sharp criticism from right-wing politicians, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who called Abbas a "dangerous enemy," and calls from other lawmakers to bar Ra'am from running.

Netanyahu's AI video is a strategic move in the ongoing political battle over coalition formation, emphasizing the contentious issue of cooperation with Ra'am since it joined the Bennett-Lapid government in 2021. The video is a political statement rather than confirmation of any coalition agreements. It highlights the deep divisions in Israeli politics over the role of Arab parties and the potential composition of the next government.