Overview

The Nelk Boys Benjamin Netanyahu Interview refers to a late July 2025 interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conducted by the Nelk Boys, Kyle Forgeard and Aaron "Steiny" Steinberg, on the Nelk Boys Podcast YouTube channel. The interview sparked backlash and controversy for the Nelk Boys among their fanbase and the internet at large, due to ethical concerns over the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and events in Gaza and Palestine. Some viewers and other streamers and internet personalities, like Hasan Piker and Adam Friedland, criticized and confronted the Nelk Boys under the belief that Netanyahu was using them to spread pro-Israel sentiments that aided the country's perception among young, American men.

Background

On July 11th, 2025, X^[1] user @FearedBuck posted a clip of the Nelk Boys and Adin Ross on a Kick livestream in which Ross is told that the Nelk Boys are set to do a podcast with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The clip received over 1.1 million views and 4,100 likes in 11 days (shown below).

Kyle from the Nelk Boys confirms to Adin Ross they had Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on their Full Send podcast 👀 pic.twitter.com/v21MZ0Uy67

— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) July 11, 2025

On July 21st, the Nelk Boys Podcast posted a full-length interview with PM Netanyahu on YouTube,^[2] which was roughly one hour and 13 minutes long. In a day, the video received over 979,500 views (shown below).

The Nelk Boys also posted clips from the podcast to social media sites like X. For instance, on July 21st, 2025, the Nelk Boys posted a clip on X^[3] with the caption, "Benjamin Netanyahu on allegations of starving people in Gaza," receiving over 10.4 million views and 7,600 likes in a day (shown below).

Benjamin Netanyahu on allegations of starving people in Gaza pic.twitter.com/2UxwvhfJ4n

— Nelk Boys (@nelkboys) July 21, 2025

They posted several clips to X on that day, like another tweet^[4] with a clip captioned, "Benjamin Netanyahu on getting hate world wide," receiving over 953,400 views and 2,000 likes in a day (shown below).

Benjamin Netanyahu on getting hate world wide pic.twitter.com/8ywYIqpoYx

— Nelk Boys (@nelkboys) July 21, 2025

At another point during the interview, the Nelk Boys asked PM Netanyahu about his go-to order at McDonald's, and Netanyahu said that he preferred Burger King. The clip was posted by X^[8] user @ArmchairAn4lyst on July 21st, 2025, gaining over 2.9 million views and 6,600 likes in a day (shown below).

Kyle: “What’s your go to at McDonalds?”

Netanyahu: “No I’ll take Burger King. We did the double”

Kyle: “The whopper?…you like Burger King over McDonalds?”

Study: “That’s your worst take”

--

Nelk Boys showing up with that real hard hitting journalism on todays episode pic.twitter.com/zIf1tBKopI

— Armchair Analyst (@ArmchairAn4lyst) July 21, 2025

Online Reactions

On July 21st, 2025, X^[5] user @jaubreyYT tweeted a screenshot of the Nelk Boys Benjamin Netanyahu Interview YouTube thumbnail, captioning it, "What the fuck are we doing here, man," gaining over 64,000 likes in a day (shown below).

That same day, X^[6] user @darthgordita quote-tweeted the "Benjamin Netanyahu on allegations of starving people in Gaza" clip, captioning it, "38-year-old frat bros interview Adolf Hitler," receiving over 117,000 likes in a day (shown below).

Also on July 21st, 2025, X^[7] user @_Starkilla tweeted the YouTube thumbnail, writing, "The only pushback they gave him was when he said he likes Burger King more than McDonald's," gaining over 1,000 likes in a day (shown below).

Later that day, TikToker ^[16] @evanjmez posted a video reacting to the Nelk Boys interview with PM Netanyahu, gaining over 21,500 likes in a day (shown below).

Developments

Hasan Piker and Adam Friedland Stream

On July 21st, 2025, the Nelk Boys hosted a Kick^[11] livestream called "ADDRESSING THE POD," in which they spoke about the Benjamin Netanyahu interview. They invited on Twitch streamer Hasan Piker to discuss the interview. Podcaster Adam Friedland, of Cum Town and The Adam Friedland Show, also joined the stream to speak with the Nelk Boys about the Netanyahu interview.

Piker posted the stream to his YouTube^[9] channel, HasanAbi, that same day, gaining over 314,300 views in a similar timeframe (shown below).

Clips from the stream went viral on other social media sites on July 21st, 2025. For instance, on that day, X^[10] user @MONSTR_UwU reposted a clip of Piker telling the Nelk Boys, "They're using you guys to look good," and then saying, "he's not promoting a book, dog. He's promoting a genocide." @MONSTR_UwU captioned the clip, "How is this real life," gaining over 1.1 million views and 13,000 likes in a day (shown below).

Similar clips went viral on TikTok^[13] and the /r/Hasan_Piker^[15] subreddit.

How is this real life. pic.twitter.com/rrCsx0zNm7

— MONSTR (@MONSTR_UwU) July 21, 2025

Nick Fuentes Stream

Later in the "ADDRESSING THE POD" Kick^[11] stream on July 21st, 2025, the Nelk Boys invited political commentator Nick Fuentes on to discuss the Benjamin Netanyahu interview. Clips of Fuentes from the stream also went viral online in late July 2025.

For instance, on that day, X^[12] user @FearedBuck tweeted a clip of Fuentes telling the Nelk Boys that people were seemingly being critical because "they see this as a push by Netanyahu for public relations. He's gonna come on your show to try to get all the young, conservative frat guys." The clip gained over 1.1 million views and 10,000 likes in a day (shown below).

The Nelk Boys invited Nick Fuentes on stream to explain why bringing Benjamin Netanyahu on for an interview was a bad idea pic.twitter.com/Y0ztYeQ9V0

— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) July 21, 2025

On July 22nd, X^[14] user quote-tweeted one of the Nick Fuentes and Nelk Boys clips, captioning it, "This is like trying to balance your cyanide intake with bleach," gaining over 6,000 likes in a few hours (shown below).

Search Interest

External References