Israel behind influence op targeting US lawmakers over Gaza

Campaign uses fake accounts to post pro-Israel comments on social media

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Israel organised and paid for an influence campaign in 2023 targeting US lawmakers and the American public with proIsrael messaging, as it aimed to foster support for its actions in the Gaza Strip, according to officials involved in the effort and documents related to the operation.

The covert campaign was commissioned by Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, a government body that connects Jews around the world with Israel, said four Israeli officials.

The ministry allocated about US$2 million (S$2.7 million) to the operation and hired Stoic - a political marketing firm in Tel Aviv - to carry it out, according to the officials and the documents.

The campaign began in October and remains active on social media platform X. At its peak, it used hundreds of fake accounts that posed as real Americans on X, Facebook and Instagram to post proIsrael comments.

The accounts focused on US lawmakers, particularly those who are black and Democrats, such as Representative Hakeem Jeffries, who is the House Minority Leader from New York, and Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia, with posts urging them to continue funding Israel's military. Representative Ritchie Torres, who is outspoken about his pro-Israel views, was also targeted.

Some of the fake accounts responded to posts by Mr Torres on X by commenting on anti-Semitism on college campuses and in major US cities.

In response to a Dec 8 post on X by Mr Torres about fire safety, one fake account replied: "Hamas is perpetrating the conflict," referring to the Islamic militant group.

The post included a hashtag that said Jews were being persecuted.

On Facebook, the fake accounts were posted on Mr Jeffries' public page and asked if he had seen a report about the UN employing members of Hamas in Gaza.

Mr Torres, Mr Jeffries and Mr Warnock did not respond to requests for comment.