Israel not behind Kirk’s assassination, Netanyahu says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday responded to a conspiracy theory that Israel was behind the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. That idea was insane and a lie, he said. Kirk advocated for Israel and Judeo-Christian values, though he sometimes disagreed with Netanyahu’s policies, he said. The prime minister said he spoke with Kirk a few weeks before his death and invited him to visit Israel. Netanyahu suggested that Qatar may have paid people to spread the conspiracy theory online.

How did this conspiracy theory gain popularity? Rumors about Israeli involvement in Kirk’s death picked up momentum this week after conservative podcaster Candace Owens, a former employee of Kirk’s Turning Point USA, on Monday claimed that Jewish hedge fund manager Bill Ackman recently threatened Kirk for questioning Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza.

Ackman denied the allegations and shared photos of recent cordial text messages between himself and Kirk.

Vice President J.D. Vance on Wednesday asked online debaters to save disputes about Kirk’s views for after his funeral.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the arrest of George Zinn, who briefly claimed to be Kirk’s shooter.