Iranian dissidents use photo of ex-PM Bennett’s son in graphic of victims killed in protests
Anti-regime Telegram channel referred to David Bennett as ‘Kourosh Shirini’ and said he was killed in Tehran; pro-regime outlets jump on opportunity to discredit casualty claims
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Iranian opposition media channels used a photo of David Bennett, the teenage son of former prime minister Naftali Bennett, as part of an infographic on victims killed by the Islamic Republic during the recent wave of protests in the country.
In one instance, a Telegram channel associated with the Iranian opposition posted a photo of the younger Bennett with a caption reading: “His name was Kourosh Shirini. He hadn’t yet turned 17 when he was killed on Pirouzi Street in Tehran by brutes — he was directly murdered.”
In another case, his face was posted on a collage of faces of people killed by regime forces during their crackdown on protests.
The photograph of the younger Bennett’s face appeared to have been cropped from a picture uploaded to his father’s Instagram account in December of the two hiking in southern Israel.
David Bennett’s inclusion in these posts was reported on by several pro-regime media outlets, who cited the photos as evidence that dissidents’ claims about the number of casualties were overblown.
“Exposing the big lie of the [Iranian dissident] MKO organization regarding the killing on Pirouzi Street,” said a report by the Fars News Agency.
The son of former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett is the latest individual portrayed as a protester killed by Iranian security personnel.
Follow https://t.co/B3zXG73Jym pic.twitter.com/13gjzlh402
— Press TV ???? (@PressTV) January 31, 2026
“MKO-affiliated media outlets published a photo of a child named Kourosh Shirini, claiming he was killed by gunfire on Pirouzi Street in Tehran during the riots. It has now been revealed that the published photo is actually of the son of former prime minister Naftali Bennett, and that it was published with the aim of deceiving and inciting the public.”
There was no immediate comment from Bennett.
The internet blackout imposed by the Iranian government following the outbreak of protests has made it difficult ot verify casualty figures and the identities of victims. Iran’s National Security Council said last week that 3,117 were killed, while the opposition-affiliated Iran International put the death toll at more than 36,000.
Iran has also acknowledged that children were among those detained in the crackdown, according to The New York Times. The deputy chairman of Iran’s parliamentary education commission Farshad Ebrahimpour said a “number” of students under 18 were arrested, as rights groups estimate at least 300 children and adolescents remain in custody.
Nationwide protests against the rising cost of living erupted in Iran on December 28, before turning into a broader anti-government movement that peaked on January 8 and 9. The protests have since been squashed by the regime’s violent crackdown.
The Times of Israel Community.