Israel-Russia Tensions Escalate Over Antisemitic Online Campaign Claims
Translated & summarized from JDN by baba
Russia's Foreign Ministry has rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's accusations that Moscow is behind an antisemitic online campaign against Israel, calling the claims baseless. Netanyahu had alleged that Russian bot networks were spreading antisemitism and propaganda, noting a reported decrease in activity after Ukrainian attacks on Yandex data centers. The dispute highlights broader disagreements between Israel and Russia, particularly concerning Russia's cooperation with Iran, though communication channels remain open.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Russia's Foreign Ministry denied Prime Minister Netanyahu's claims of Moscow's involvement in an antisemitic online campaign.
- Netanyahu alleged Russian bot networks spread crude antisemitism and propaganda against Israel on social media.
- Russia criticized the timing of Netanyahu's public accusations, suggesting it was politically motivated.
- Tensions also involve Russia's cooperation with Iran, which Israel views as against its interests.
- Netanyahu stated that communication channels with Russian President Vladimir Putin remain open.
Russia's Foreign Ministry has vehemently denied accusations made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who alleged that Moscow is involved in an antisemitic social media campaign against Israel. In a statement released on Thursday, the ministry called Netanyahu's claims baseless and expressed confusion over the public accusations from the leader of a nation with a shared history with Russia. Moscow described the attempt to attribute an antisemitic campaign to Russia as "particularly ridiculous," asserting that Russian policy promotes peace and harmony among ethnic groups, leading to minimal antisemitism within the country.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also criticized the timing of Netanyahu's remarks, suggesting that instead of professional dialogue between cyber experts, the Prime Minister chose to air the allegations publicly, possibly through media leaks, ahead of Israeli elections. The Russian response follows strong statements by Netanyahu on Sunday, during which he outlined his national security vision. He acknowledged significant disagreements with Russia, despite shared interests, noting that their interests sometimes conflict.
Netanyahu specifically cited the Russia-Iran cooperation as a point of contention, arguing it works against Israel's interests and that Iran, if it obtains nuclear weapons, could pose a threat to Russia itself. He stated that Israel clearly communicates these concerns to Moscow. The Prime Minister also alleged the operation of bot networks on social media spreading the most "crude antisemitism" and propaganda against Israel. He claimed a roughly 60% decrease in online activity by Russian antisemitic actors against Israel was observed after Ukrainian attacks on data centers belonging to the Russian tech giant Yandex, though full data to independently verify this claim was not provided.
Despite the public dispute, Netanyahu affirmed that communication channels with Russian President Vladimir Putin remain open. He emphasized that Israel will continue to advance shared interests with Russia when possible but will assert its position when their interests clash. The tensions extend beyond online discourse, encompassing concerns about military cooperation between Russia and Iran.
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