The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism exposed a large-scale Iranian influence operation on social media Thursday, revealing dozens of fake accounts that impersonated Israelis and international media outlets. The campaign aimed to sway Israeli public opinion, undermine trust, and amplify fear and despair during the war, according to the ministry’s research division.
1+The operation began during Operations “Rising Lion” and “Roaring Lion” and gradually expanded. The content focused on painting a bleak picture of Israel—spreading false reports of high casualty numbers, widespread destruction, leadership crises, and deaths of senior officials and professionals. Messages also played on fears of prolonged war, extended shelter stays, and mass emigration from Israel.
The fake accounts racked up significant exposure quickly. One profile called “Jews of Yemen” garnered a million views and thousands of comments and shares, while another account, “Yitzhak al-Khamumi,” reached over 4 million views. The accounts operated in Hebrew, Arabic, and English, using similar content and coordinated activity patterns, researchers found.
1+X served as the main platform for spreading the content, partly due to less stringent oversight mechanisms. The operators also used artificial intelligence tools to create images and videos purporting to show severe damage to infrastructure and civilians—though some of the footage didn’t reflect actual events. In other cases, they mixed real clips with inflated data or misleading information.
Ministry officials said the account operators tried to create an appearance of credibility by posing as soldiers, university employees, and Israeli citizens. Some profiles used children’s photos and fake personal details, while different accounts regularly shared each other’s content to boost exposure and create a sense of authenticity.
Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli said this represents “a systematic and coordinated Iranian attempt to influence Israeli public opinion by penetrating Israel’s internal online discourse.” Iranian actors are operating through fake accounts to undermine public trust and deepen divisions within Israeli society, he said.
Ministry Director General Avi Cohen-Scali added that unlike previous influence operations focused on the international arena, this effort specifically targeted the Israeli public itself. The collected intelligence has been passed to relevant security agencies for further handling and assessment of necessary countermeasures, he said.