Iranian Influence Networks Now Amplify Netanyahu's Campaign Messages

Dozens of online accounts, previously identified as part of an influence operation targeting Iran's regime, have become active during Israel's election period, amplifying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's campaign videos and echoing his attacks on opposition leaders. Analysis by Haaretz, network researchers, and a private monitoring firm indicates these accounts, primarily on X (formerly Twitter), promote Netanyahu's election propaganda and share his criticisms of rivals. Some accounts praise Netanyahu as a strong wartime leader, mirroring content they previously disseminated to Iranians. Other suspicious accounts, recently identified, also post in Hebrew, urging votes for Netanyahu. Brandeis University and the organization Fake Reporter filed a petition with the Central Elections Committee regarding these accounts, supported by expert opinions from researcher Inbar Toiber Yassur and Ran Perachi, CEO of Expoze, a network influence monitoring firm. These groups have identified over a thousand suspicious accounts that initially aimed to destabilize the Iranian regime but are now promoting content favorable to Netanyahu. Last year, Haaretz and TheMarker exposed two influence networks that supported regime change in Iran, promoting Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah, as an alternative. One network, believed to be operated from Israel by a privately funded entity with government backing, recruited Persian speakers after the Gaza war began and Pahlavi visited Israel. Another network of dozens of avatars became active after Israel's June 2025 strike on Tehran's Evin prison, reporting explosions near the prison before local media and sharing a fabricated video of the attack. Researchers initially suspected this network was operated on behalf of Israel due to its close coordination. Digital traces linked these accounts to the Pahlavi campaign. Sources at the time suggested it was an official Israeli operation in Persian, privatized to an influence and campaign specialist. Since the election period began on July 27, 185 of approximately 1,600 accounts identified last year as working for Pahlavi have interacted with Netanyahu's network accounts, sharing posts where he attacked political opponents. Toiber Yassur stated that 264 accounts have amplified Netanyahu, with ten specifically sharing his videos attacking rivals like Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan. These accounts also amplified posts criticizing Haaretz newspaper. Beyond sharing, they engage directly with Netanyahu's posts. For example, in response to a Netanyahu video claiming "If I had listened to Eisenkot, Haniyeh would be alive today," one account replied "Thank you King Bibi." Another account posted "Bibi 2026" on a Netanyahu video, adding an AI graphic: "Netanyahu 2026, Strong Leadership, Strong Israel." When US broadcaster Mark Levin attacked opposition leader Yair Lapid, another account responded, "Lapid is not stupid, he is a traitor!" This account, which promotes Pahlavi and calls for the overthrow of the Ayatollahs, was opened around the same time as the previously exposed network. In July, Netanyahu released an AI video portraying himself as a doctor curing journalists' "obsession." An "Iranian" account, also opened during the Pahlavi influence network's activity, retweeted this video, which garnered 1.5 million views. Scooper's analysis suggests artificial amplification, with about 5,000 users sharing and commenting, but only a third were from Israel, despite the video being in Hebrew. Among foreign users, a third were reportedly from Iran, and most accounts were old. Network researchers suspect similar activity on Instagram, where fake accounts initially created for the Iranian regime change effort are now amplifying posts from Netanyahu and the Likud party. One account, with a seemingly fake profile picture, has commented for two years "in the name of the Iranian people" with Pahlavi-promoting hashtags. Recently, it began commenting in Hebrew on election videos from Netanyahu and right-wing influencers, artificially boosting their reach. The account commented on three Netanyahu election videos in the past two months, with messages like "Bibi, with you until victory." It also frequently comments on videos by right-wing influencer Alina Feldman, often within seconds, with phrases like "The choice is yours... Bibi the King" and "Only Likud, only Bibi." A month ago, the Association for Civil Rights filed a petition against Netanyahu and the Likud, alleging systematic and extensive use of fake accounts, bots, and paid users to amplify Netanyahu's messages on X. The petition claims this creates a false impression of public support, misleading voters and harming election fairness. The Likud denied any connection and requested the petition be dismissed. The Central Elections Committee chairman, Judge Noam Solberg, has ordered Netanyahu, Gamliel, the Likud party, and the Prime Minister's Office to respond to the Brandeis Institute's petition by today. Several state and security bodies involved in influence operations denied any connection to these accounts. The Prime Minister's Office also denied any connection. Minister Gamliel stated, "It never happened." Netanyahu, Gamliel, and the Likud stated in response to the petition that they are not connected to the matter. The Prime Minister's Office noted that the Information Dissemination Directorate is unaware of the issue, and the State Attorney's Office has forwarded the petition to the Israel Police for their information. The origin and operation of these avatars remain unclear, with uncertainty about whether they are controlled by human agents or are an automated product of AI systems.