Israel targets politicians with fake social media accounts

  • Post last modified:June 7, 2024
  • Reading time:9 mins read


A few days ago, the New York Times reported that Israel is using fake social media accounts to target US lawmakers – the very people making direct decisions on funding their military. Yet there’s barely been a murmur about the story in the UK corporate media.

Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs has spent around $2m on the operation so far. The company responsibly for the campaign is Stoic, a Tel Aviv political marketing campaign:

Russian interference

Last year, the BBC uncovered a similar Russian operation involving 12,800 fake TikTok accounts:

According to the New York Times:

The campaign also created three fake English-language news sites featuring pro-Israel articles.

People were quick to point out that the playbook was very similar to that of Russia in 2016. Trump used the same tactics to get into office:

Russia targeted voter registration systems, stole voters personal information and hacked various campaigns – including Clinton’s. They also spread huge amounts of propaganda on social media.

It took until 2018 to prove all of those accusations, which people suspected as far back as 2015. Now a UK election is imminent and a US one isn’t far behind and it seems people are already suspicious about potential interference from Israel:

Russia proved it was possible, and Israel’s track record of human rights abuses plus their technological advancements mean that we should all be suspicious.

UK election interference

On Wednesday 5 June, the Workers Party London region tweeted the following.

Someone else noted, that the account was linked with the Israel Hasbara programme – a mass messaging technique long used by the state. According to TRT World:

To accomplish its mission, hasbara targets diplomats, politicians and the public through mass media. It is also accomplished through numerous institutes and government agencies, as well as in research centres, universities, NGOs and lobbying firms.

Other people pointed out that it has far more influence on Western politics than Russia:

Many staunch pro-Labour X accounts have also been linked to Israel:

In the UK, both the Conservatives and Labour have lobby groups named ‘Friends of Israel’. These groups alone lobby. Both of these groups aim to strengthen business, cultural, and political ties between the United Kingdom and Israel.

Conservative Friends of Israel receives funds from powerful Zionist organisations in Jerusalem. Labour Friends of Israel refuses to disclose its funding. That’s a little bit sus – at least the Tories are honest about it:

Israel: going to any lengths

Given the extend of the fake accounts created by Israel, who’s to say they are not targeting UK lawmakers in exactly the same way that they are in the US? Israel has made it clear they will go to any lengths to sway public opinion – legal or not. So why would they stop at interfering in the UK?

In the run up to such an important election, why are none of the British corporate media outlets reporting on it?

Feature image via Number 10/Chris McAndrew /Wikimedia





Source link

Tags: , , , , , , ,