By: Fern Sidman

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an impassioned rebuke on Thursday to the “monstrous big lie” — the circulating rumor that Israel bore some responsibility for the assassination of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk. His remarks, reported by Israel National News (INN), sought not only to dismantle the false claim but also to honor Kirk’s enduring legacy as a defender of Israel and of the Judeo-Christian values that animated his political philosophy.

Speaking before reporters in Jerusalem, Netanyahu invoked the specter of Nazi propaganda to contextualize the danger of the rumor’s spread. “Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister, once said that the bigger the lie, the faster it spreads,” the prime minister declared. “Someone has fabricated a monstrous big lie that Israel had something to do with Charlie Kirk’s horrific murder.”

“This is insane. It is false. It is outrageous,” Netanyahu continued, his tone rising with intensity. “Charlie Kirk was a giant, a once-in-a-century talent who defended freedom, defended America, defended our common Judeo-Christian civilization.”

As the Israel National News report observed, Netanyahu’s rhetoric was not simply defensive but mournful. His remarks framed Kirk as an indispensable ally in the ongoing struggle to safeguard Israel’s legitimacy and Western values more broadly.

Netanyahu sought to highlight his personal bond with Kirk, describing a relationship marked by frank discussion and mutual respect. The prime minister revealed a personal letter Kirk had written to him only months ago, underscoring his unwavering solidarity with the Jewish state.

“Charlie loved Israel. He loved the Jewish people. He told me so in a letter he sent me just a few months ago,” Netanyahu said. “‘One of my greatest joys as a Christian,’ he said, ‘is advocating for Israel and forming alliances with Jews to protect Judeo-Christian civilization.’”

The letter, described in detail in the Israel National News report, demonstrated Kirk’s concern over waning American support for Israel. “He encouraged me to make the case directly to the American people about how vital Israel is to American national security. He told me that ‘The Holy Land is so important to my life that it pains me to see support for Israel slip away.’”

For Netanyahu, these words called attention to the falsity of any claim that Israel could be implicated in his death. “A man who committed himself so profoundly to defending Israel cannot, in any rational universe, be cast as a victim of Israeli aggression,” Netanyahu said.

Perhaps most strikingly, Netanyahu emphasized that Kirk’s loyalty to Israel was not based on blind devotion. “If Charlie disagreed with a policy of mine or a decision here or there, I welcomed it,” he admitted. “This is the essence of Charlie, the essence of a free country. It’s exactly what Charlie stood for. I knew that his suggestions always came from the heart—from his love for Israel and his love for the Jewish people.”

By stressing this point, Netanyahu aimed to paint a portrait of Kirk not as a sycophant but as a principled friend—someone whose critique was part of a genuine partnership, not an adversarial relationship. As the Israel National News report explained, Netanyahu’s comments reflected both his grief over the loss of a political ally and his recognition of Kirk as a singular force in American public life.

In recounting his final interactions with Kirk, Netanyahu offered a poignant anecdote. “A few weeks before his death, I spoke to Charlie and invited him to visit Israel again,” he said. “Sadly, that won’t happen.”

This deeply personal recollection was paired with an unflinching rejection of the conspiracy theories now circulating online. “Now, some are peddling these disgusting rumors, perhaps out of obsession, perhaps with Qatari funding. What I do know is this—Charlie Kirk was a great man, and a great man deserves honor, not lies.”

The spread of such rumors reflects what observers have described as a dangerous trend in the weaponization of disinformation against Israel. As Israel National News frequently notes, conspiracy theories targeting the Jewish state often thrive in moments of global tension. By linking Israel to tragedies far removed from its borders, propagandists seek to exploit grief for geopolitical gain.

In this case, analysts have speculated that adversarial actors, including foreign media channels and interest groups, may be seeking to tarnish Israel’s reputation at a moment when international scrutiny of the Gaza conflict remains high. Netanyahu’s reference to possible “Qatari funding” appeared to suggest that hostile states may be actively stoking such narratives.

Netanyahu’s remarks were quickly echoed by prominent American voices. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, a longtime supporter of Israel, condemned the rumors on social media. “It’s painful to see people back in the US attempt to get clicks & make $$ by making up outrageous lies while exploiting the death of Charlie Kirk whose impact & character the propagandists will never have,” Huckabee wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Huckabee’s statement, cited in the Israel National News report, reinforced the transatlantic nature of the defense mounted on behalf of both Kirk’s memory and Israel’s integrity. By positioning the rumor as an opportunistic exploitation of tragedy, Huckabee sought to delegitimize not only the claim itself but also the motives of those spreading it.

Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, had long been a prominent defender of Israel within American conservative circles. His speeches, writings, and media appearances consistently championed Israel as a bastion of Western values in a hostile region.

As Israel National News has documented, Kirk frequently highlighted the shared moral and cultural foundations of American and Israeli society, arguing that the defense of Israel was inseparable from the defense of Western civilization itself. He also sought to mobilize young Americans to appreciate the moral clarity of Israel’s fight against terror.

Netanyahu’s tribute made clear that Israel regarded Kirk not merely as a foreign ally but as an integral part of its global support network. “Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk. May your memory be a blessing,” the prime minister concluded.

In the end, Netanyahu’s remarks carried a dual message: mourning for a friend and a fiery rejection of slander. His invocation of Goebbels underscored the dangers of unchecked propaganda, while his personal reminiscences sought to reclaim Kirk’s legacy from those who would weaponize it against Israel.

For Israel, the stakes go beyond one man’s memory. The report at Israel National News observed that the fight against lies and conspiracy theories is inseparable from the broader struggle to defend Israel’s legitimacy on the world stage. The prime minister’s speech, therefore, was not only an act of mourning but also a reaffirmation of Israel’s resolve to combat antisemitic disinformation wherever it emerges.

As the rumors circulate, Netanyahu’s impassioned defense stands as both an elegy and a warning. The assassination of Charlie Kirk has already shocked and shaken conservatives in America and supporters of Israel worldwide. But as Netanyahu and his allies stress, allowing baseless conspiracy theories to take root risks compounding the tragedy with dishonor.

“Charlie Kirk was a great man,” Netanyahu said firmly. “And a great man deserves honor, not lies.”

For Israel and its supporters, this moment has become more than a test of grief. It has become a test of truth itself.