Conspiracy Theories About Oct. 7 Massacre Persist Online Three Years Later
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
Three years after the October 7 massacre, conspiracy theories continue to spread on social media, alleging internal betrayal by Israeli security forces or denying the event's scale. The organization Fake Reporter warns these narratives are fueled by a lack of official answers and are used for political gain, deepening societal divisions. These theories, including claims of deliberate inaction by the IDF and international denial of the massacre, have garnered millions of views and likes, eroding trust in state institutions.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Conspiracy theories about the Oct. 7 massacre persist online three years later, alleging internal betrayal and denial of events.
- Fake Reporter warns that a lack of official answers fuels these narratives, which are used for political purposes.
- Theories include claims of Israeli security forces deliberately allowing the massacre to happen to oust Netanyahu.
- International accounts deny the massacre or claim Israel inflated casualty numbers.
- Videos about "internal betrayal" have received tens of millions of views and likes on social media.
- Fake Reporter's director states these theories undermine trust in state institutions and deepen societal rifts.
Three years after the October 7 massacre, conspiracy theories about the event continue to circulate widely on social media, according to a report by Ynet. These theories range from claims of "internal betrayal" by Israeli security forces who allegedly allowed the tragedy to happen to deliberately undermine the Netanyahu government, to outright denial of the Hamas-perpetrated massacre or its scale. Publications promoting these theories have garnered millions of views.
Fake Reporter, an organization that monitors online conspiracy theories, warns that the lack of official answers to lingering questions fuels the spread of these narratives. The organization notes that these theories are often weaponized for political purposes, deepening societal divisions and eroding trust in the army and intelligence agencies. The first conspiracy theories emerged on the day of the Hamas attack, exacerbating Israelis' sense of insecurity amidst the violence and security failures.
Fake Reporter's research, spanning from October 7, 2023, to the present, identified several recurring themes: internal betrayal, denial or downplaying of the massacre, and alleged cooperation between security forces and Hamas to overthrow the government. The primary platforms for these falsehoods are X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Telegram. Videos discussing "internal betrayal" have collectively amassed tens of millions of views and likes.
Internationally, theories denying the massacre or minimizing its severity have gained traction. Some foreign accounts falsely claim Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu knew about the impending attack and activated "Protocol Hannibal" to kill Israeli civilians themselves, blaming Palestinians. Another prevalent falsehood suggests Israel inflated the number of casualties. Within Israel, a theory posits that the IDF deliberately acted with inaction on October 7 to depose the Netanyahu government, explaining both ignored warnings and delayed air force responses.
Fake Reporter's General Director, Nir Rosen, stated that initial questions about security failures on October 7 quickly morphed into conspiracy theories under the influence of political actors. He highlighted that a significant portion of the public, particularly supporters of the current coalition, believe in the "internal betrayal" theory. Rosen emphasized that these theories exploit legitimate questions, replacing factual investigation with baseless narratives that, when amplified by public figures, become accepted as truth, undermining state institutions and deepening societal rifts.
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