France Accuses Israel of Spreading Fake News on Riots
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
France's Foreign Ministry has accused Israeli social media accounts of spreading "fake news" and exaggerating the significance of recent riots in the country. The ministry's internal report indicated that Israeli-linked posts generated 35 million views during the riots' peak. French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged foreign information manipulation without confirming direct intervention. Separately, Spain's Prime Minister previously accused Israeli networks of spreading false information related to a migrant surge.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- France's Foreign Ministry accused Israeli social media accounts of spreading fake news about recent riots.
- Israeli posts reportedly garnered 35 million views during the peak of the riots in October.
- Accounts linked to Donald Trump's MAGA movement generated 49 million views, while Russian accounts had 2.8 million.
- French President Macron acknowledged foreign information manipulation regarding the riots.
- Spain's Prime Minister previously blamed Israeli networks for spreading false information about a migrant surge.
France's Foreign Ministry has accused Israeli social media accounts of spreading "fake news" and exaggerating the significance of riots in the country, according to a report by Reuters based on an internal French Foreign Service document. The report claims that Israeli government-linked and influencer posts generated 35 million views during the peak of the riots between October 16-18. The document also implicates social media accounts connected to former U.S. President Donald Trump's MAGA movement, which garnered 49 million views in the same period. Russian accounts reportedly had significantly lower visibility with 2.8 million views.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that while there was no foreign intervention in the riots, there was "manipulation of information from foreign sources." The French government has been attempting to downplay the immigrant background of many rioters, with some videos showing participants waving Palestinian and their countries of origin flags, and using Arabic in protest slogans. A French researcher reportedly found that 75% of individuals mentioned in court reports following the riots had Arab or African origins.
Previously, Spanish Prime Minister accused Israel and Israeli social media actors of fueling the invasion of Ceuta by over 80,000 illegal immigrants in August. The Prime Minister of Spain alleged that "Israeli networks" disseminated false information about a Spanish Supreme Court ruling, contributing to the surge of migrants.
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