Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempt to charm Gen Z through a surprise interview with the Nelk Boys has backfired spectacularly.
The YouTube pranksters—known for their frat-bro antics and bro-y podcast “Full Send”—hosted Netanyahu in a softball-filled hourlong episode that went live Monday.
Within 24 hours, they lost over 10,000 YouTube subscribers and were flooded with criticism from all sides of the internet.
The interview was meant to be a PR win: a chance for Netanyahu to reach a younger, American male audience without the pressure of serious journalism.
Instead, hosts Kyle Forgeard and Steiny admitted they didn’t understand the Israel-Gaza conflict, fumbled through foreign policy questions, and asked about fast food preferences—prompting outrage online. Forgeard confessed on air:
“I just don’t know what’s going on.”
The backlash was swift. Critics from across the political spectrum—including streamer Hasan Piker and even far-right figure Nick Fuentes—blasted the Nelk Boys for giving a platform to a leader currently facing an International Criminal Court warrant and genocide accusations over Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
Viewers accused the hosts of being unprepared and letting Netanyahu spin unchallenged talking points, including claims that protestors were “un-American” and that Israel’s attack on Iran “liberated” Europe.
Even some Israeli commentators panned the episode. In The Times of Israel, writer Elkana Bar Eitan said Netanyahu “blew it,” describing the prime minister as detached from reality despite the hosts’ friendly tone.
The podcast team later said they plan to bring on “the other side” in future episodes but did not specify who.
Whether that can undo the reputational damage remains to be seen.
