Israel’s Covert Influence Campaign Targeting U.S. Lawmakers Exposed
In a shocking revelation, it has come to light that Israel organized and funded a clandestine influence campaign last year aimed at swaying U.S. lawmakers and the American public with pro-Israel messaging during the war in Gaza. The operation, commissioned by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, allocated approximately $2 million to the effort and enlisted the services of Stoic, a political marketing firm based in Tel Aviv.
The campaign, which utilized fake accounts on various social media platforms including X, Facebook, and Instagram, targeted specific U.S. lawmakers, particularly Black Democrats like Representative Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Raphael Warnock, urging them to support Israel’s military actions. Artificial intelligence-powered chatbot ChatGPT was used to generate posts, and fake English-language news sites were created to spread pro-Israel propaganda.
The revelation of Israel’s involvement in the influence operation has raised concerns about the lengths to which the country was willing to go to shape American opinion on the conflict in Gaza. While the campaign did not have a widespread impact, Meta and OpenAI confirmed its existence and took action to disrupt it.
Experts noted that this operation is the first documented case of the Israeli government organizing a campaign to influence the U.S. government, highlighting the growing use of such tactics by various countries around the world. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs denied involvement in the campaign, while Stoic remained silent on the matter.
The exposure of this covert influence campaign has sparked outrage and calls for greater transparency and accountability in political messaging and online activities. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the power and potential dangers of misinformation and propaganda in the digital age.