Israel Covertly Launches Influence Campaign on Gaza War, Targeting U.S. Legislators
TL/DR –
Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs commissioned an influence campaign last year that targeted US lawmakers and the public with pro-Israel messaging in support of the war in Gaza, according to officials and documents. The campaign, carried out by Tel Aviv-based political marketing firm Stoic, involved use of a chatbot to generate many posts, hundreds of fake accounts on social media, and the creation of three fake English-language news sites. The covert operation, which aimed to sway American opinion, is the first documented case of the Israeli government organizing a campaign to influence the US government, say social media experts.
Israel’s Influence Campaign in U.S. During Gaza War Revealed
Documents and insiders have revealed Israel secretly ran an influence campaign last year targeting U.S. policymakers and the public to support the war in Gaza. Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, dedicated to linking the global Jewish community with Israel, commissioned the operation.
For the campaign, the ministry employed Tel Aviv-based political marketing firm Stoic, dedicating around $2 million to the operation. Hundreds of phony accounts on social media platforms were used to post pro-Israel comments targeting U.S. lawmakers, especially Democrats and Black members, urging them to continue funding Israel’s military.
The A.I. chatbot ChatGPT was used to generate many posts. The operation also produced three counterfeit English-language news sites promoting pro-Israel articles.
The Israeli government’s involvement in this covert operation, verified by The New York Times and Israeli misinformation watchdog FakeReporter, was previously undisclosed. Last week, Meta and OpenAI announced they had detected and interrupted the operation.
This campaign underscores Israel’s efforts to sway American opinion on the Gaza war. Despite the recent $15 billion military aid package to Israel signed by President Biden, the conflict has been unpopular among many Americans.
Experts note that this is the first documented case of Israel’s government organizing a campaign to influence U.S. public opinion and lawmaking. Other nations, including Iran, North Korea, China, Russia, and the United States, supposedly support similar campaigns, but their involvement is often concealed by outsourcing the operation to private companies or running it through another country.
However, Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs has denied involvement in the operation and any connection to Stoic. Meta and OpenAI have stated that the campaign had little overall impact, with many followers on the phony accounts likely being bots.
The campaign targeted several members of Congress, notably Black Democrats, posting pro-Israel content in response to their social media updates. Mr. Torres, a vocal supporter of Israel, was among those targeted along with Mr. Jeffries and Mr. Warnock. The operation also produced three fake news sites that stole and repurposed content from legitimate outlets to endorse Israel’s position in the war.
Last week, Meta and OpenAI attributed the influence campaign to Stoic. Meta removed hundreds of accounts linked to the operation on Facebook and Instagram, while OpenAI reported that Stoic had created fictional personas to post anti-Islamic messages.
—
Read More US Political News