Netanyahu shares phone number in campaign video, sparks data harvesting concerns

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted what he claimed was his personal phone number on social media Sunday, inviting Israelis to reach out with their questions and problems. The move, presented as an election-season outreach effort, quickly overwhelmed the provided number.

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Topaz, have you gone crazy?

Within minutes of the post, the WhatsApp account associated with the number was blocked due to the sheer volume of messages and calls. Those attempting to contact the prime minister received busy signals. Netanyahu's adviser, Topaz Luk, later posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the account was disabled and that the team was working to restore it, redirecting people to Telegram in the meantime.

The stunt drew immediate suspicion, with some suggesting it was a tactic to harvest potential voters' phone numbers. Israeli political correspondent Michael Shemesh questioned the number's authenticity on X. Further doubt was cast by social media users who pointed out that the phone visible in the video appeared to be part of a synagogue updates WhatsApp group, with a recent message supporting political rival Naftali Bennett, making it unlikely to be Netanyahu's personal device.

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I want to hear from you. Your suggestions, your questions, your problems. I want to hear, so leave me a message.

This is not the first time Netanyahu has shared a number during an election campaign. In August 2022, he similarly published a number and invited Israelis to video call him, stating, "Why should only some people have my phone number? Everyone should have it."

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Something tells me that Bibi isn’t signed up to the ‘Menachem’s House Main Shul Updates’ group, especially not when the latest message there is ‘yalla, it’s time for Bennett.’