New York, Sept. 28 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that his government treats social media as a "weapon" to secure political support in the United States, sparking fresh controversy amid the ongoing Gaza crisis.

In a meeting with US influencers at Israel's Consulate General in New York on Friday, September 26, , footage shared on X by influencer Debra Lea shows Netanyahu calling platforms like TikTok and X "the most important weapon . to secure our base in the US."

He emphasised that controlling TikTok, describing it as "the most important purchase going on right now," could be highly "consequential."

Netanyahu also mentioned X, saying, "We have to talk to Elon. He's not an enemy, he's a friend." He sugges...