Jun 06, 2024 16:00:00

Reports that Israeli organizations have created fake social media accounts to spread pro-Israel and Islamophobic posts online in order to garner support from U.S. lawmakers

Israel is currently engaged in military conflict with the Islamic fundamentalist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. It has been reported that the Israeli government is using fake websites and social media accounts to spread pro-Israel, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Islamic content.

Israel Secretly Targets US Lawmakers With Influence Campaign on Gaza War - The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/05/technology/israel-campaign-gaza-social-media.html

Israel Secretly Targets American Lawmakers With Gaza War Influence Campaign - National Security & Cyber - Haaretz.com
https://archive.md/sbAPI

According to

an investigation by Fake Reporter (PDF file) , which investigates disinformation and hate speech, the operation is being carried out by Israeli companies that support political campaigns, including an organization called 'Voices of Israel,' which receives half of its operating funds from the Israeli government.

Voices of Israel is a public interest company established as an initiative of the Israeli Minister of Strategic Studies and the Ministry of Public Affairs and Foreign Affairs, and is not subject to Israel's Freedom of Information Act. According to the foreign media Haaretz, Voices of Israel was established to include pro-Israel activists and organizations in Israel's diplomatic activities, and to combat divestment, sanctions, and anti-Semitic rhetoric against Israeli companies.

In fact, Voices of Israel's website states that 'Voices of Israel is a joint venture agreement with the Government of Israel, led by the Ministry of

Diaspora Affairs, to combat anti-Semitism,' and lists its basic goal as 'using the tools of public diplomacy to promote Israel's image on the international stage and combat anti-Semitism around the world.'

Before the project, Israel lacked a source to publicize Hamas's atrocities and justify its fighting in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government decided to create social media accounts that resembled real people and set up news sites that copied and spread official media reports. Several organizations commissioned by the Israeli government used hundreds of social media accounts to actively promote pro-Israel articles, such as reports on the reality of sexual assaults by Hamas and suspicious reports on the relationship between the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and Hamas. These articles were mainly published with the aim of appealing to American Democratic lawmakers.

In April 2024, a fake news site promoted a website called 'Good Samaritan,' which ranks universities in the United States and Canada that are suitable for Jews. When Fake Reporter investigated the site, it was found to be originating from the same IP address as four websites that spread Islamophobic information.

Meta has since removed Facebook accounts promoting these fake sites, and OpenAI has reportedly suspended accounts run by users in Israel and other countries that were attempting to use AI to manipulate public opinion and influence political outcomes.

OpenAI reveals that it has prevented Russia, China, Iran and Israel from misusing AI - GIGAZINE

OpenAI's report points out that these activities are the work of an Israeli company called 'Stoic'. According to Haaretz, Stoic has various software and systems that enable target user profiling and the creation of adapted content, as well as a platform called 'Ma'acher' that allows the mass creation of fictitious online accounts and their simultaneous activation on multiple SNS. OpenAI reports that Stoic is abusing ChatGPT to create content for propaganda campaigns in Israel, and has also reported that Stoic has previously conducted campaigns against the Indian government and others.

Stoic did not respond to a request for comment from Haaretz.