Iran-Linked Influence Network Targets Israeli Elections, Report Finds

An influence network with ties to Iran is reportedly attempting to sway Israeli elections scheduled for October 27, according to an investigation by open-source intelligence platform Golden Owl. Between August 22 and September 22, researchers analyzed over 21,000 social media posts, identifying 1,516 anomalies including false election information, foreign-sourced narratives, and unusual account behavior. Some accounts falsely announced election postponements or suspensions, while others spread misinformation about potential freezes on taxes and mortgage refunds due to alleged foreign interference.

The investigation flagged 237 accounts as suspicious and 57 as actively participating in a foreign influence operation. Golden Owl mapped nearly 120,000 accounts and 295,000 interactions, identifying a network of fictional personas engaging with genuine Israeli voters. These accounts used patriotic imagery, posted in Hebrew, and posed as Israeli women, reservists, secular voters, or religious activists, discussing sensitive topics like Benjamin Netanyahu's responsibility for the October 7th events, the conscription of the ultra-Orthodox, the "Qatargate" scandal, and emigration from Israel.

One identified profile, "Yaara Shalev," presented itself as a pro-democracy and peace activist but reportedly used borrowed or AI-generated images. Its most viewed post, advocating mass emigration from Israel, garnered nearly 690,000 views. Another account, "Miriam Kozak," previously flagged as fake by FakeReporter, shifted from alleging Arab fraud in the 2022 elections to a strongly anti-Netanyahu stance.

Several Hebrew-posting accounts posing as Israelis were traced by the X platform to locations including Germany, Finland, Egypt, and Yemen, with some accessing the network via an Iranian version of the Android app. The report highlights "Alon Strauss," an account that exclusively posted in Persian about Iranian politics until April 2026 before reappearing in August with an Israeli identity, an Israeli flag profile picture, and Hebrew posts about the elections. Golden Owl noted that 26 of 32 suspicious profiles were created in 2025 or 2026, and dormant U.S. accounts were reactivated to post in Hebrew.

Researchers also found identical texts disseminated by multiple accounts, accusing Netanyahu of election manipulation or instigating war, and encouraging Israelis to leave the country or refuse military service. Golden Owl estimates these posts reached approximately one million views in the month before the report's publication. While 76% of accounts sharing this content were located in Israel, the investigation also noted the sale of Telegram accounts linked to Israeli numbers and databases of Israeli voter information on the dark web.