The Israeli government conducted a secretive influence campaign to manipulate U.S. lawmakers in order to receive backing for its war on Gaza, according to reports published Wednesday.
The operation was executed by Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, according to The New York Times and the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz. It began shortly after the war started in October, and also sought to sway public opinion in the U.S. and Canada.
The effort entailed the use of hundreds of fake social media accounts on X, Instagram and Facebook that had tens of thousands of followers and included the operation of fake websites.
Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram, did not immediately return a request for comment.
Last week, Meta and Open AI released a report announcing the discovery of the "likely AI-generated" campaign, which it tied to a Tel Aviv-based marketing firm known as Stoic. The reports released Wednesday are the first, however, to tie Stoic's efforts to the Israeli government.
The influence campaign carried a price tag of about $2 million, and used Stoic as a contractor, according to the Times. Stoic's LinkedIn page appears to have been deleted.
The Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs denied any connection to the campaign, as well as Stoic when questioned by the Times.
FakeReporter, an NGO specializing in disinformation, released an analysis Wednesday that found the campaign focused on more than a dozen U.S. lawmakers, including many Black and Democratic members of the House of Representatives and Senate.
"Unlike the influence networks operating within Israel, which target the general public, the current network seems focused on influencing legislators. Its strategy involves creating the perception of widespread American support for Israel and its actions since Oct. 7th," said FakeReporter's analysis.
The accounts comprised the sprawling network posed as university students, lawmakers' constituents and concerned citizens, according to the Times. All posted content that supported Israel's war, and maligned Muslims, immigrants and Palestinians, according to Haaretz, which added that other content included disinformation about antisemitism on university campuses.
The Times identified targeted lawmakers as Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Rep. Ritchie Torres and Sen. Raphael Warnock. None of the lawmakers responded to requests for comment.
Haaretz and the New York Times based their reporting on multiple anonymous sources, as well as information substantiating the program. Stoic declined to comment in response to inquiries from the news organizations.
