New Fake News Campaign Targets Daughter of Israeli General
Anonymous Telegram channels have launched a new smear campaign against Rotem Izencohen, daughter of former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot. The campaign falsely claims she leaked information about soldiers to a political figure. This appears to be another instance of "targeted eliminations on Telegram," a tactic where anonymous actors label civilians as traitors to intimidate them.
The fake news was first published on Sunday by the "News Source - Field Reports" channel. Within 40 minutes, the identical text was shared on three other Telegram channels: "Online Reports - The Official Channel," "Real-Time News," and "Israel Breaking News," which collectively have about 33,000 followers. The falsehood then spread to a Facebook group called "Friends Who Love Benjamin Netanyahu," which has over 117,000 members.
According to FakeReporter, which monitors disinformation, this method involves anonymous administrators of Telegram channels, posing as reliable news sources, fabricating outrageous lies that portray civilians as traitors or collaborators with foreign entities. Victims are often politicians, activists, or journalists who are vocal critics of government policy. After the sensational lie is created, these channel administrators disseminate it to tens of thousands of followers, who often react with extreme and violent responses. The fake news then quickly spreads to similar Telegram channels and other social media platforms.
Recently, as elections approach, the families of politicians have also become targets. For example, a similar campaign recently targeted Channel 12 journalist Guy Peleg, with anonymous Telegram channel administrators spreading fabricated lies about his 17-year-old daughter, Roni, and his son, Uri. Other victims of similar campaigns include Professor Fania Oz-Salzberger, Haya and Nimrod Sheffer, "TheMarker" journalist Simi Spalter, protest activist Nava Rozilio, Rafi Ben-Shitrit from "Israel Beiteinu," and others.
FakeReporter stated, "The case of Rotem Eisenkot is not an isolated incident but another disturbing example of a dangerous and escalating phenomenon. A systematic mechanism is operating on Telegram today that invents lies, labels law-abiding citizens as traitors, and systematically distributes these fakes to tens of thousands of people within minutes. These lies do not stay on the screen, they translate into murder threats and harassment against the victims and their families. This is a dangerous digital weapon."
FakeReporter warned that the phenomenon has been escalating for months, moving from journalists and activists to their families, and now to the family of a senior public figure. They believe the danger increases as elections approach, with the "poison machine" working to manipulate public opinion. They described the current situation as a "test run" for elections, warning of the potential for a dangerous scenario where a fake story about a candidate is released just before polls close, leaving insufficient time to debunk it, a tactic seen in elections worldwide. FakeReporter emphasized that this is no longer just a problem for individuals but a real threat to the electoral process and Israeli democracy, urging law enforcement and platforms to act against the anonymous distributors now, not after the fact. They reminded that anonymity is not a shield from the law and pledged to continue exposing those responsible and assisting victims in legal proceedings.
