Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to push back against anti-Israel trends in the right-wing media world by holding a briefing on Monday in the Blair House for podcasters and other media figures, sources in the meeting told Jewish Insider on Tuesday.

Among those in attendance were podcasters including Dave Rubin, Tim Pool and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, writers Bethany Mandel and David J. Harris Jr., influencer Jessica Kraus, Commentary senior editor Seth Mandel and Federalist Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway. 

In addition to Netanyahu, his diplomatic advisor Ophir Falk and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter were present on the Israeli side.

Pool expressed concerns about increased antisemitism and anti-Zionism in the pro-Trump podcasting space, according to sources in the room. Pool famously had Kanye West on his podcast, and the rapper walked out mid-interview after Pool pushed back against antisemitic comments. 

Responding to Pool, Netanyahu said that is the reason he invited the group to meet with him.

Pool asked if there was a Qatari “op” to manipulate social media algorithms to make antisemitic and anti-Israel episodes appear to receive an outsized number of views, in order to incentivize podcasters and YouTubers to produce more antisemitic content.

Netanyahu, however, was noncommittal in his response, saying only that “it’s possible.” 

The prime minister emphasized in the context of Qatar as well as Iran that Israel and the U.S. share the same adversaries.

Iran, Netanyahu said, wants to destroy both the U.S. and Israel.

Hemingway asked Netanyahu several questions about Israel’s planned response to the Iran nuclear threat, including whether Israel wants a ground war with Iran and whether Israel expects America to help fight such a war.

Netanyahu said that Israel has never asked America to put boots on the ground in its defense and does not plan to do so.

The prime minister also said that it is “important” for the U.S. to negotiate to try to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, but declined to answer further questions and clearly viewed it as a sensitive subject, according to sources in the room.

Netanyahu insisted that President Donald Trump knows what he’s doing.

The prime minister spoke extensively about “the deep state” in Israel, at a time when he is seeking to fire the head of the Shin Bet and his justice minister wants to fire the attorney general, with whom Netanyahu has clashed repeatedly since returning to office in 2022, and especially since the war in Gaza began in 2023.

Asked if his government plans to continue to reform the judiciary, sources in the room said that Netanyahu pointed out that Israel already changed the makeup of the committee that selects judges, and that there may be some small further steps taken.

Netanyahu said it is important to balance the need for reforms with national unity at a time of war.