Iran-linked network infiltrates Israel’s election debate to sow chaos

According to a new open-source intelligence report by Golden Owl, a network of social media accounts posing as ordinary Israelis is infiltrating the country's political discourse ahead of the October 27 election. The network consists of 35 core accounts presenting themselves as diverse segments of Israeli society, including political activists, reservists, and ordinary citizens. Researchers linked the network to the regime ruling Iran based on technical metadata, such as the use of the Iran-specific version of the X app, account histories, and coordinated posting behavior.

The report emphasizes that the operation's primary goal is not to support a specific candidate but to exacerbate existing divisions within Israeli society. The fake accounts use AI-generated content and false claims regarding election fraud or national collapse to deepen distrust among citizens. One notable example cited is a Persian-language account formerly known as "mardeankabooti" (Spider-Man), which transformed into an Israeli persona named "Alon Strauss" and began posting political content in Hebrew.

Researchers discovered that the network utilizes AI content production channels like "KigVoice" to feed the fake personas. Content is first published on these channels and then republished by the fake accounts, allowing it to appear as authentic citizen discourse. This tactic has led many genuine Israeli users to unknowingly amplify these messages by retweeting them, thereby increasing their reach.

Tal Hagin, director of Otus and a verification specialist, told Ynet: "Our findings make one thing clear: the war has continued online. Ahead of the election, foreign-run personas impersonated Israelis to influence public debate." The report warns that the ultimate objective of this operation is to make Israelis distrust one another and to sow despair and chaos within the society.