In December 2025, an X user shared a photograph (archived) purportedly showing the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "casually chatting":
(X user @mo_shawki2)
The image was authentic. It was part of a batch of photographs tied to the Epstein case Democrats on the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released Dec. 18.
However, many people responding to the post correctly pointed out that the photo depicted Epstein not with Netanyahu but with Noam Chomsky, a linguist, professor and liberal political activist. As such, we've rated it as miscaptioned.
In November 2025, the Oversight Committee released emails that were part of the Epstein case that included exchanges between Chomsky and Epstein, revealing the relationship between the two men was deeper than previously understood.
The X user who posted the claim, Mahmoud "Mo" Shawki (@mo_shawki2), replied to many comments about the misidentification saying his post was "sarcasm" to mock people who claimed Epstein was an agent of Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service. Shawki suggested critics of Israel and Netanyahu must contend with the fact that a man they ostensibly admire, Chomsky, had ties to Epstein:
(X user @mo_shawki2)
Snopes has covered numerous stories related to Epstein's relationships with prominent, wealthy or powerful people, including U.S. President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton and his family.