Misinformation campaign aimed at 'undermining Israeli society from within' exposed
The group, affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, focuses on psychological warfare, tarnishing the IDF image, and increasing polarization within Israel
A group, operating with the aim of "undermining Israeli society from within" has been exposed in a recent investigative report by Haaretz.
The campaign, orchestrated by an Egyptian expatriate affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, runs a Telegram group named "ISNAD-Palestine" consisting of thousands of contributors.
The Egyptian expat behind the group disclosed their strategy, stating, "Our campaign is not about convincing or fighting with them. The idea is that we play with their minds and implant ideas, images, and phrases that have a cumulative negative impact on public opinion."
The campaign strategically presents its media and information as Israeli, distributing messages in Hebrew and instructing its operators to pose as if they were writing from within Israel.
The network utilizes artificial intelligence tools to create texts in Hebrew and employs the "sock puppet" method, creating numerous fictitious users operated by a single genuine person, making it challenging for users to discern fake accounts.
The campaign is operated by Arabic speakers worldwide through Telegram. The group focuses on spreading disinformation, engaging in psychological warfare, and increasing polarization within Israel. It aims to tarnish the image of the Israeli army and portray it as losing to Hamas.
In mid-December, the operation expanded its influence to the Israeli sphere, targeting key objectives such as running a campaign to undermine Israelis, engaging in psychological warfare regarding the fate of hostages in Gaza, and portraying the army as losing to Hamas.
Across Facebook and X, research found that Israelis have reposted content that the network created such as graphics and AI generated photos, like Prime Minister Netanyahu, next to a text blaming the current war on the "totally right-wing government."
According to the data collected, the network began operating in the Israeli arena from mid-December. On Twitter alone, between December 13 and January 7, activists posted over 78,000 tweets, indicating a clear connection between the group's activity and the surge in the circulation of messages on the platform.
The Telegram group continues to grow, adding hundreds of Arabic speakers every week, with dual goals of pressuring Egypt to meet Hamas' demands and embarrassing President Sissi for his perceived lack of solidarity with the Palestinians and cooperation with Israel.