Israeli Parties Spent Millions on AI-Driven Political Phone Campaigns
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
Israeli political parties invested around 25 million shekels in AI-driven phone campaigns for the 26th Knesset elections, making an estimated 30 to 40 million calls. These sophisticated systems use bots and recorded messages to reach voters, collect data, and manage outreach. Tracking the full scope and cost of these campaigns is challenging due to a lack of centralized data, and parties must adhere to privacy regulations when using collected voter information.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israeli parties spent 25 million shekels on AI-driven phone campaigns for the 26th Knesset elections.
- An estimated 30 to 40 million political calls were made to voters.
- The campaigns utilized AI bots, recorded messages, and human callers.
- Tracking the exact scope and cost of these phone operations is difficult.
- Parties must comply with privacy regulations when using collected voter data.
Israeli political parties spent approximately 25 million shekels (about $7 million) on phone call campaigns during the lead-up to the 26th Knesset elections. These campaigns utilized a range of technologies, including AI-powered bots, pre-recorded messages, and human callers, to reach voters. Estimates suggest that between 30 and 40 million calls were made in total.
The sophisticated technological infrastructure behind these calls allows parties to disseminate messages on a large scale, track voter responses, and manage constituent outreach. Companies offer services that enable direct contact with voters via phone, but tracking the exact number of calls, the scope of outreach, and the amounts paid to suppliers is difficult, as this data is not centrally available.
These systems involve automated dialing, contact management software, and data collection. They can gather sensitive personal information about voters' preferences and stances through their responses to phone key presses. The data is then used to manage supporter lists and mobilize voters. While the cost per message might be low, the overall expense for these extensive phone campaigns, including data management, analysis, and operational centers, can be substantial.
Recipient lists are compiled using the voter registry, supplemented by additional data collected during the campaign through various means, including interactions with activists and online forms. The Privacy Protection Authority issued guidelines in June 2026 regarding the use of voter information and the responsibilities of parties towards external suppliers, emphasizing that parties remain accountable for how their data is used, even by third-party technology providers.
Recent adjustments, such as blocking aggregate voting reports from polling station officials following a High Court of Justice ruling, highlight how these technological systems must adapt to legal constraints on voter data collection. The calls represent just one touchpoint in a broader system involving data, software, communication providers, and campaign budgets.
