Conspiracy Theories About October 7th Still Rampant Online Three Years Later
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Conspiracy theories surrounding the October 7th massacre continue to spread online three years later, garnering millions of views across social media platforms. Key narratives include claims of internal betrayal, denial of the massacre's scale, and alleged security establishment cooperation with Hamas. These theories are often exploited for political purposes and have been linked to figures like Yair Netanyahu, who liked a tweet suggesting a coup by the Chief of Staff. FakeReporter is monitoring these narratives, which are eroding public trust and deepening societal divisions.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Conspiracy theories about the October 7th massacre continue to spread online three years later, garnering millions of views.
- Key narratives include claims of internal betrayal, denial of the massacre's scale, and alleged security cooperation with Hamas.
- Yair Netanyahu liked a tweet suggesting the Chief of Staff orchestrated a coup on October 7th.
- These theories are exploited for political purposes and are particularly prevalent before elections.
- FakeReporter is monitoring these narratives, which are eroding public trust and deepening societal divisions.
Three years after the October 7th massacre and the security failures that preceded it, conspiracy theories continue to spread widely on social media, garnering millions of views. These narratives, which began shortly after the attack, have evolved but persist, significantly impacting public discourse and trust.
An organization called FakeReporter has been monitoring online discussions since October 7th and identified several key conspiracy narratives. These include claims of internal betrayal, denial or downplaying of the massacre's scale, and alleged cooperation between the security establishment and Hamas to overthrow the government. These theories are most prevalent on platforms like X, Facebook, and Telegram.
The "internal betrayal" narrative, which emerged on October 7th itself, suggests that the attack was orchestrated from within to destabilize the current government. Initially, blame was placed on the military and top security officials, including the Chief of Staff, head of Shin Bet, and head of Mossad. More recently, blame has shifted to protest activists and politicians, such as Yair Golan, particularly as elections approach. Videos supporting this conspiracy theory have accumulated tens of millions of views and likes.
Another prevalent narrative, especially in international media, denies the massacre or its severity. Some foreign accounts accuse Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu of prior knowledge of the attack and of using the "Hannibal Directive" to kill Israeli civilians and blame Palestinians. Others claim the casualty figures are inflated. This narrative spread rapidly after the attack and remains influential.
A further prominent theory suggests the military deliberately underperformed on October 7th to undermine the Netanyahu government. This includes claims of ignoring prior warnings and intentional mismanagement by the Air Force. These conspiracies gain political traction, especially with upcoming elections.
According to FakeReporter CEO Nir Rosen, legitimate questions about the security failures on October 7th were quickly exploited by politically motivated actors, transforming them into malicious conspiracy theories. He noted that a significant portion of the public, particularly among coalition supporters, now believes in the "internal betrayal" theory. Rosen emphasized that these conspiracies erode public trust in state institutions and deepen societal divisions, even when they originate from genuine questions deserving investigation.
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