Foreign Interference and Iranian Influence on Social Networks in Israel
, David Siman-Tov
A Special Publication in cooperation between INSS and the Institute for the Study of Intelligence Methodology at the Israel Intelligence Heritage Commemoration Center (IICC), November 13, 2024
This article addresses the phenomenon of Iranian foreign interference in social media platforms in Israel during the years 2020–2022. Its aim is to examine and characterize the phenomenon, discuss its consequences, and propose policy addressing it. The study reveals that agents of foreign interference in the discourse on Israeli social networks do not favor a certain group or agenda in Israeli society; rather, they aim to deepen the rifts in Israeli society and weaken it. The article begins with a description of the main operations...
A Worldwide Russian Influence Campaign—Implications for Israel
David Siman-Tov,
INSS Insight No. 1901, October 13, 2024
A recent FBI report reveals a Russian influence campaign targeting several countries, including the United States and Israel. The report highlights Russia’s attempts to sway Israeli public opinion, particularly during times of political upheavals, with the aim of encouraging support for its war against Ukraine. For the first time, it was publicly disclosed that the Arab population in Israel was also a target of Russian influence. The campaign utilized digital media and the creation of fake content, which was spread via social...
Russian Influence Campaign Against Israel: Strategic and Cognitive Implications
, , David Siman-Tov
INSS Insight No. 1852, May 1, 2024
Since the October 7th massacre, Russia has stepped up its semi-covert disinformation attacks against Israel, as part of its global Doppelganger influence campaign, which began in 2022. These attacks align with Russia’s official stance, which has remained hostile to Israel in recent months. They signal a strategic shift in the Kremlin’s approach, by grouping Israel with countries it perceives as enemies. A policy shift by the Israeli government should reflect these dynamics and address the new risks to Israel posed by an increasingly...
Islamist “Civilian” Influence Campaign Targeting Israel
David Siman-Tov, , , Ofir Winter
A Special Publication in cooperation between INSS and the Institute for the Study of Intelligence Methodology at the Israel Intelligence Heritage Commemoration Center (IICC), April 2, 2024
In the context of the war in Gaza, a foreign influence campaign is flooding Israeli users of the social network X (formerly Twitter) with messages in Hebrew designed to promote Hamas’s objectives. The campaign is executed by a community of Arab Muslims from several countries and orchestrated by Egyptian activists affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood movement who operate from Turkey. Since the group seeks to recruit people to its efforts, it openly describes its goals and some of its action methods, allowing a rare “behind the...
Civil Public Diplomacy (Hasbara) in the Gaza War: Potential in the Influence Arena
David Siman-Tov, , ,
INSS Insight No. 1797, December 11, 2023
Unlike in previous rounds of fighting with Hamas, it appears that in the Swords of Iron war, thousands of Israeli citizens have joined “professional” network influencers in the global struggle over the narrative. In addition, dozens if not hundreds of civilian “war rooms” have been set up to stream public diplomacy explanatory material, and work groups focusing on technology and the cognitive campaign were formed, designed to make hasbara – Hebrew for public diplomacy – more effective. Israeli hi-tech has also joined the fight, and...
From Hasbara (Public Diplomacy) to Influence in the Gaza War
David Siman-Tov, ,
INSS Insight No. 1783, November 8, 2023
The Gaza war that began after the murderous Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 in the western Negev is also a war in international public opinion. Although at the start of the war, due to the brutality of the attack, Israel received broad public sympathy, now it appears that Hamas is perceived as a victim that enjoys the decided advantage in the struggle for public sympathy in the international arena. One of the explanations for the Hamas success is that unlike Israel, which tries to justify itself to the world, Hamas clings to the...
Attempted Foreign Influence as a Challenge to Israel’s National Resilience: Using the Judicial Overhaul Protests to Deepen Internal Rifts
David Siman-Tov
INSS Insight No. 1741, June 26, 2023
In recent years, Iran, using social media, has made several attempts to undermine Israel from within. In recent weeks, several networks operating against the backdrop of the widespread civil protest against the government’s would-be judicial revolution were revealed – networks that identified with both supporters and opponents of the plan. This activity seeks to take advantage of the civil protests against the proposed judicial overhaul to deepen the existing polarization and division. The threat of this foreign influence is a...
In the digital era, social media have gained widespread popularity and become an important element of human culture. These platforms constitute a modern town square – a space for public discourse, where information and ideas flow rapidly. This article discusses the point where social media, as arenas for social and cultural conflict, intersect with strategic campaigns for cognitive impact, by examining the Korean pop community – also known as K-Pop – which connects people based on a musical genre and creates a cultural identity...
Like all countries, Israel is influenced by the global geopolitical reality. In this reality, contrasting ideas and values play an important role, as they shape the interests and conduct of respective actors in the international arena. Leading conceptual and ideological polarities include liberal and democratic values vs. illiberal worldviews, support for globalization or isolation, and more. Thus, analysis must go beyond identifying the interests of international actors to also address the values they adhere to. Conduct in the...
Social media, which enhance interpersonal connections and champion freedom of speech, also embody negative elements that can heighten alienation and polarization in society, and even threaten national security and national resilience. Professional bots and trolls deepen existing social rifts and weaken the resilience of Israeli society. A timely example is the online cognitive campaign waged regarding the war in Ukraine. In Israel, however, there is insufficient attention to this phenomenon. The question arises, therefore, why have...
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