Fake Social Media Profiles Linked to Otzma Yehudit Campaign Attack Rivals

A recent investigation by "Fake Reporter" has uncovered that over 100 artificial social media profiles, likely generated by AI, were used in a coordinated online campaign to attack rivals of Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir. These profiles targeted figures such as Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel Smotrich and "Am Israel" chairman Ofer Winter.

The operation, described as an "influence campaign," aimed to create positive sentiment for Ben-Gvir and his party. The AI-generated profiles, which often lacked followers and posting history, shared consistent narratives across social media platforms. Some profiles featured AI-generated images of individuals presented as diverse members of Israeli society, with their online activity primarily focused on interacting with real individuals associated with the Otzma Yehudit campaign.

These fake profiles were reportedly used to post comments supporting Ben-Gvir and criticizing his political opponents. For instance, in the context of Prime Minister Netanyahu's push for a union between Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, the profiles allegedly promoted the message that Netanyahu should focus on Ben-Gvir's voter base and secure Smotrich's position. The campaign also allegedly posted positive messages towards MK Tali Gottlieb before her departure from Likud to join Ben-Gvir's party.

Attacks against Smotrich included claims that his voters were not convinced by his campaign, that he only appeared during elections, and that his decisions were disastrous, particularly regarding the allocation of funds. Winter was targeted with accusations of being funded by "Kaplan" (a reference to anti-judicial reform protesters), being a "Benet agent," and fearing questions from the public.

Ofer Winter responded to the findings, stating, "Protection rackets are rampant and crime is raging, and a minister in Israel is busy with influence operations against right-wing parties." In response, Itamar Ben-Gvir's office issued a statement dismissing the report as coming from "left-wing sources" and the "extreme left-wing" organization "Fake Reporter." The statement accused these groups of using "foreign money" to interfere in Israeli elections, drawing a parallel to similar accusations made before the previous election, and vowed that his movement would continue to succeed.