Iranian Fake Account Network Discovered Ahead of Israeli Elections

A network of 35 fake social media accounts, identified as Iranian in origin, has been uncovered in Israel just weeks before the upcoming October 27 parliamentary elections. The platform Golden Owl's investigation revealed that 32 of these accounts posed as Israeli citizens, while three Hebrew-language channels mimicked independent media outlets. Researchers analyzed over 21,000 posts made between August 22 and September 22 in Hebrew, Arabic, English, and Russian.

The content focused on sensitive Israeli domestic issues, including Prime Minister Netanyahu's responsibility for the October 7th events, the "Qatargate" scandal, the draft of ultra-Orthodox men into the army, accusations of election fraud, and the ongoing threat of war. The network exhibited clear signs of coordination, such as repetitive messaging, synchronized posting, sudden identity changes, and the use of content previously seen in other Iranian influence campaigns.

These posts reached approximately 947,000 views and garnered over 9,000 user interactions. An additional 362 accounts were found to be actively sharing the network's content, though experts believe these users may have been unaware of the disinformation's true source.

The discovery highlights concerns about foreign interference in Israel's democratic processes, particularly during a period of heightened political activity and national security challenges.