US Prez Biden dozed off during meeting new Israel PM Bennett, suggests Netanyahu

A Reuters fact check disproved the claim that Biden dozed asleep after social media users uploaded a video recording of the US president looking down and dozing out. 

In a Facebook video uploaded on Sunday, Israel's former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that US President Joe Biden dozed off at a meeting with new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett last month. A Reuters fact check disproved the claim that Biden dozed asleep after social media users uploaded a video recording of the US president looking down and dozing out. At the same time, Bennett talked in the Oval Office. According to the Reuters fact check, the footage that was circulated was cropped incorrectly. More extended footage shows Biden responding to Bennett seconds after the tape was cut.

"You know, Bennett met with Biden," says an off-camera voice in a video Netanyahu uploaded on his Facebook page on Sunday. "I was aware of it. At this meeting, I heard Biden was quite attentive. In agreement, he dipped his head," Netanyahu responded by quickly lowering his head as if imitating someone falling asleep.

Netanyahu, the right-wing Likud party chairman, was generally in lockstep with Biden's Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, on Middle East policy. Netanyahu's mention of the Biden meeting was just a tiny part of a roughly 26-minute video covering a wide range of political topics. However, it made headlines in Israeli news outlets, with some accusing Netanyahu of ridiculing Biden. In June, Netanyahu's cabinet was replaced by a coalition of left-wing, centrist, right-wing, and Arab parties led by Bennett, ending Netanyahu's 12-year reign as Israel's longest-serving leader. Netanyahu has pledged to rule anew now that he is in opposition.