In the ever-scrutinized worlds of politics and media, the lines between public image, private influence, and official record have rarely felt more blurred. Recent revelations in both Israel and the United States have cast a spotlight on the subtle yet significant ways political spouses and digital technology are reshaping the narrative at the highest levels of power.
In Israel, official photos of Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have become the center of a heated debate over authenticity and ethics. According to the Associated Press, images released by the government over the past year have shown Mrs. Netanyahu with flawless skin, strikingly defined eyes, and impeccably styled hair—attributes that, officials now admit, are the result of heavy digital retouching. These aren’t just casual Instagram touch-ups; they’re images distributed in official government announcements, destined for the state’s historical archives.
The controversy erupted after veteran journalist Shabi Gatenio, writing for The Seventh Eye, noticed discrepancies between official photos and raw footage from events as early as July 2025. At one such event in Washington, D.C., the prime minister’s office released a polished photo of the couple, which, when compared to accompanying video, revealed clear signs of post-processing. Hany Farid, a digital forensics expert at the University of California, Berkeley, confirmed that the images had been manipulated to smooth Sara Netanyahu’s skin and remove wrinkles. "There’s been some Photoshop editing to—let’s call it—‘beautify,’ lighten, smooth the face," Farid told the Associated Press. "Is it nefarious? No. Is it a problem? Yes. This is about something bigger than, ‘she Photoshopped her face to make herself look younger.’ This is about trust. Why should I trust any official photo coming out of that administration?"
The Israeli government’s response has been a mix of transparency and uncertainty. Since November 2025, any press release featuring a retouched photo of Sara Netanyahu now explicitly credits her name, signaling to the public that the image has been edited. Nitzan Chen, director of the Government Press Office, stated that images of the prime minister himself are never manipulated and that the office would not upload retouched photos to the official archive. Still, the question of how to handle these images lingers, with the Justice Ministry and government lawyers reviewing criteria and limitations for edited photos. "The issue," Chen emphasized, "is being transparent when such changes are made."
But the debate doesn’t stop at simple photo touch-ups. The prime minister’s official Instagram account has also posted images that appear to be AI-generated or heavily AI-edited, such as a New Year celebration photo featuring Sara Netanyahu in a dress she didn’t actually wear at the event and digital fireworks and flags floating above the couples. These images are now flagged by Instagram to indicate potential AI manipulation, though it remains unclear who added the tag or when. The trend, according to Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler of the Israel Democracy Institute, is part of a broader "populist playbook"—one that mirrors the media strategies of figures like Donald Trump. "Presenting himself as a superhero, his wife as a supermodel, their family as a super loyal family. Even when it wasn’t the case, even at the expense of actual political work, administrative work and social work," Altshuler explained.
This blending of reality and digital enhancement has sparked a wider ethical debate about the integrity of official archives and the trustworthiness of government communications. As Gatenio warned, "These images, if entered into the database, will forever infect it with a virtual reality that never existed." The Associated Press, for its part, refuses to publish images that appear to have been digitally manipulated, and at least one Israeli outlet, The Times of Israel, has adopted a similar stance.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the role of political spouses in shaping public perception and policy has taken on new dimensions. In the United States, Melania Trump’s influence during her husband's second term as president has become increasingly visible—and consequential. As reported by the Daily Mail, Melania has quietly become President Trump’s "whisperer-in-chief," offering both emotional support and political advice, particularly as the president, now 79, faces mounting scrutiny over his age and health.
At a September 2025 banquet for Silicon Valley leaders, President Trump was seen relying on Melania for guidance when a reporter’s question about Russia’s Vladimir Putin left him momentarily flustered. Melania calmly whispered the question’s gist to her husband, who then responded confidently. It was a telling moment, emblematic of her growing sway within the administration. "He needs Melania now more than ever," a source close to the Trump family told the Daily Mail, citing the president’s advancing years and the absence of his daughter Ivanka from the White House.
Melania’s influence extends beyond private counsel. She has intervened in major geopolitical issues, such as Ukraine and Gaza, and has even communicated directly with foreign leaders. In August 2025, when President Trump met with Putin in Alaska, he carried a personal letter from Melania concerning displaced Ukrainian children. Two months later, Melania stood at the White House podium to announce that she, not the president, had maintained an "open channel" with Putin on the issue, resulting in the reunification of eight children with their families. Her actions have drawn attention from diplomats and foreign officials, with some European observers now reassessing her influence on U.S. policy.
On the domestic front, Melania has made history by becoming the first presidential spouse to sign a new law—the Take It Down Act, targeting online sexual exploitation—and an executive order to assist teenagers transitioning out of foster care. Her advocacy is not merely symbolic; she has personally lobbied lawmakers and spoken out about the dangers of AI and social media to children’s cognitive development, warning, "AI and social media are the digital candy for the next generation, sweet, addictive and engineered to have an impact on the cognitive development of our children."
Melania’s independent streak is well documented. She has publicly disagreed with her husband on issues ranging from abortion to his on-stage antics, urging him to be more "presidential" and discouraging behaviors she deems unseemly. In her memoir, she wrote, "Restricting a woman's right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body." Her willingness to chart her own course has earned her both criticism and admiration, but it undeniably sets her apart from previous first ladies.
As both Israel and the United States grapple with questions of authenticity—whether in the digital manipulation of official records or the behind-the-scenes influence of political spouses—one thing is clear: the boundaries between reality, image, and power are being redrawn in real time. In an age when trust in institutions is fragile and the tools for shaping perception are more sophisticated than ever, the choices made by those at the top—and those closest to them—will echo for generations to come.
