Foreign Election Interference Threatens More Than Just Ballots
Translated & summarized from Calcalist by baba
Foreign actors are increasingly using sophisticated influence operations, amplified by AI, to interfere in elections, posing a threat beyond direct vote manipulation. In Israel, Iranian-linked accounts have been identified spreading divisive content, and coordinated bot activity is a significant concern. The U.S. has experienced AI-generated calls impersonating candidates and hacking of campaign accounts. Experts warn that disruptions to critical infrastructure could also be used to sow chaos and undermine public trust, with the main threat lying in the information environment and daily life systems.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Foreign actors are using AI-amplified influence operations to interfere in elections, targeting voters rather than just ballots.
- Iranian-linked accounts posing as Israelis have been identified spreading divisive content around elections.
- AI enhances coordinated bot and troll activity, making it harder to detect and debunk fake narratives.
- Automated calls impersonating candidates and hacking of campaign accounts are emerging threats.
- Disruptions to critical infrastructure could be used to create chaos and undermine public trust.
- Cyber expert Mai Green states the main threat lies in the information consumed and daily life systems.
As Israel's election approaches its final stretch, the threat of foreign interference is no longer theoretical. While manual voting is often seen as a safeguard against cyber interference, the primary danger lies not in altering votes, but in influencing the voters themselves. Even a system with paper ballots is not entirely disconnected from computing, as a 2025 state comptroller report noted the use of specialized software to verify eligibility and prevent double voting in Knesset elections.
U.S. experience illustrates this. Ahead of the 2024 elections, intelligence agencies assessed that manipulating the vote count would be difficult to do undetected, while influence operations posed a more significant threat. Iran breached materials from the Trump campaign and attempted to leak stolen information, while Russia and Iran used generative AI to create content. AI accelerates and amplifies these influence operations, a threat already evident in Israel.
A late September investigation identified Iranian-linked accounts posing as Israelis, disseminating content around elections and controversial issues. An analysis of over 21,000 posts found more than 1,500 suspicious cases. In Israel, Iran, Russia, and China are key players in cyber and influence operations, often aiming to deepen divisions, erode trust, and foster animosity rather than necessarily electing a specific candidate. Iranian operatives have also been documented recruiting Israelis online for paid tasks, a significant threat close to election day.
Coordinated bot and troll activity is a primary tool, now enhanced by AI that generates natural language and context-specific responses, making them harder to detect than previous, error-prone attempts. A survey by the Israeli Internet Association found 71% of the public encountered fake news around the elections, and 56.8% saw fake or impersonating accounts. AI-powered systems can also conduct automated calls and surveys, tailoring messages to users. This was seen in New Hampshire's 2024 primaries when AI-generated calls impersonating Joe Biden urged voters not to participate. Hacking candidate accounts for information that can be used for leaks, extortion, or creating convincing fake content is another risk, with less time to debunk closer to the election.
Disruptions to infrastructure like water, sewage, traffic lights, or public services could create chaos and a perception of government failure, potentially impacting public perception of governance during an election. Foreign actors don't need to tell citizens whom to vote for; influencing the environment in which decisions are made is sufficient. While manual voting in Israel is an important security advantage, it protects the ballot, not the entire process leading up to it. The real cyber threat in the final stretch of the 2026 elections lies in the information consumed, the seemingly authentic discourse, candidate accounts, and the systems managing daily life, according to cyber expert Mai Green.
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