Israeli Officials Simulate Election Day Threats, Including AI and Foreign Interference

Dozens of senior figures from Israel's security, technology, legal, regulatory, media, academic, and civil society sectors recently participated in an intensive simulation exercise to prepare for potential threats during upcoming Knesset elections. The simulation, held at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), focused on scenarios involving undue foreign and domestic influence, misinformation campaigns before and on election day, and the possibility of a party refusing to accept the results.

Organizers aimed to identify risks, practice decision-making, and explore response strategies. "The feeling is that these elections are a decisive battle, and as such, they are subject to influence from all directions, certainly by our enemies who are aware of the internal turmoil," stated former IDF Intelligence Chief, Maj. Gen. (res.) Tamir Heyman, head of INSS. He likened the effort to "a child with a finger in the dam, trying to contribute our part to stop it."

The simulation examined three main threat areas. The first involved the period before polls open, where digital realities create legal gray areas, such as leaked biased polls or paid influencers promoting political opinions. The second focused on election day itself, with scenarios including inciting violence against Arab voters, spreading fake news about security incidents using AI-generated audio and video to suppress votes, and creating false emergencies for police.

The third threat area addressed the post-election period, encompassing the spread of fabricated evidence of fraud, foreign actors exacerbating chaos online, and a party rejecting the results, potentially leading to street violence. Former social media executives noted that platforms establish "war rooms" for elections but intervene primarily when content violates their policies, not necessarily local law.

Participants also discussed the challenges of the digital environment, with one expert noting that Israel's legislative authorities are "at a low level" of readiness to combat manipulation. Concerns were raised that discussions about foreign influence could be exploited to undermine election legitimacy. The simulation recommended proactive engagement with social media platforms and AI companies, establishing a professional spokesperson unit for the election committee, and potentially moving the counting of sensitive "double envelope" ballots from the Knesset to a neutral location to prevent manipulation.