Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a statement Thursday lambasting critics who believe Israel is linked to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
In the wake of Kirk’s death, several prominent commentators have baselessly insinuated that Kirk’s evolving views on Israel may have played a role in his assassination last week.
“Somebody has fabricated a monstrous big lie – that Israel had something to do with Charlie Kirk’s horrific murder,” Netanyahu said in a video posted on social media.
“This is insane, it is false, it is outrageous,” he added.
Netanyahu said Kirk sent him a supportive letter soon before he died and noted Kirk’s love for Israel and the Jewish people. He also said he would have “welcomed” a disagreement between Kirk and himself on Israel’s conduct.
“Now, if Charlie disagreed with a policy of mine or a decision here and there, not only did I not mind, I welcomed it,” Netanyahu said.
“This is the essence of Charlie, this is the essence of a free country, it’s exactly what Charlie stood for.”
Netanyahu speculated that Qatar could be funding the false claims connecting Israel to Kirk’s death. Earlier this month, Israel struck the Qatari capital of Doha in an attempt to eliminate Hamas’s political leadership as it continues fighting Hamas in Gaza. The Trump administration voiced disapproval of Israel’s attack on Qatar because it is a U.S. ally in the Middle East, despite Qatar’s ties to Hamas.
Kirk was a longtime Christian Zionist and spoke regularly about how visiting the Holy Land strengthened his Christian faith by bringing the Bible to life. Tyler Robinson was charged earlier this week in Kirk’s assassination during an event at Utah Valley University. Robinson’s charges including aggravated murder and he could face the death penalty.
After the shooting, Robinson texted his transgender lover that he “had enough” of Kirk’s supposed “hatred” and confessed to the murder. It was the culmination of Robinson’s growing interest in politics and increasingly left-wing views.
Conservative commentators including Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson have argued Kirk had become increasingly skeptical of Israel and donors to his activist organization, Turning Point USA, were upset with his evolution. Carlson recently claimed that Kirk told him many times about his disgust for Netanyahu and opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza. Furthermore, Carlson said Kirk urged him to highlight supposed links between deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and Israeli intelligence.
Before Kirk’s death, Carlson was scheduled to speak at an upcoming Turning Point USA conference. Carlson is now scheduled to speak at Kirk’s funeral on Sunday along with President Trump and numerous other notable figures.
In a similar fashion, Owens claimed that Kirk and billionaire Bill Ackman had a private blowup in the weeks before Kirk’s death over Israel. Owens alleged that Ackman and other donors threatened Kirk because of his disapproval of Israel. She also claimed Kirk was offered money to retain his pro-Israel stance, which he apparently declined. She has not presented any evidence to back up her claims.
Ackman and Kirk’s executive producer Andrew Kolvet have denied Owens’s claims about what happened in the meeting between the two. Seeking to end the dispute, Ackman shared private texts showing a friendly conversation between himself and Kirk after the meeting.
Other attendees of the event, including right-wing influencer Xaviaer DeRousseau and Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillion, provided details about the “influencer retreat” Kirk organized. Both attendees described the spirited debate the influencers had over Israel and other topics important to conservatives. Dillon recalled Kirk expressing free speech concerns about how criticism of Israel was “so discouraged, so penalized,” on the right. In response, Dillon pointed out the enormous audience some commentators have generated by fixating on Israel and constantly criticizing the Jewish state.
During an episode of the PBD Podcast, Turning Point USA board member Eric Bolling said Kirk had facilitated a “quiet break up” with Owens because of her outlandish claims. Bolling said Kirk and Owens did not have a regular line of communication and Owens had not attended a TPUSA event in years.
The blowup following Kirk’s death reflects a growing conservative fissure on Israel and the broader U.S. approach to foreign policy.