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The Israeli government is reportedly operating an extensive network of fake social media accounts to gain support for its actions in Gaza and to spread anti-Muslim content across various platforms.
Following the recent conflict in Gaza, the Israeli government has revived a controversial program, initially known as Kela Shlomo and now called Voices of Israel. This program, aimed primarily at influencing public opinion in the US and Europe, previously collaborated with groups advocating for “anti-BDS” state laws that penalize Americans for participating in boycotts or other non-violent protests against Israel, according to an investigative report by The Guardian.
The program has been used by the Israeli government to suppress student protests, human rights organizations, and other dissenting voices, the paper revealed.
Haaretz and the New York Times recently revealed that the ministry led by Chikli had hired a public relations firm to secretly lobby American lawmakers. This firm utilized hundreds of fake accounts to post pro-Israel or anti-Muslim content on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram. The diaspora affairs ministry denied involvement in the campaign, which reportedly provided about $2 million to an Israeli firm for these social media posts.
However, this effort is just one of many such campaigns coordinated by the ministry, which has received limited media attention. The ministry of diaspora affairs and its partners compile weekly reports based on information from pro-Israel US student groups, some of which receive funding from Israeli government sources.