The New York Times (NYT) exposed a covert campaign orchestrated by the Israeli Occupation to sway members of the US Congress through the use of fake social media accounts during the war on Gaza.

The revelation of the Israeli Occupation’s involvement in the operation, previously undisclosed, was confirmed by four current and former members of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, supported by a thorough examination of campaign documents by the NYT.

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The clandestine campaign caught the attention of "Israeli" misinformation watchdog "FakeReporter," which identified its activity last March.

The operation commenced a few weeks after October 7, as per officials speaking to NYT.

The covert campaign unfolded with meticulous planning:

• The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs earmarked approximately USD 2 million for the operation and enlisted the services of Tel Aviv-based political marketing firm, "Stoke," to execute its strategy.
• Initiated in October, the campaign remains active, predominantly on X.
• Hundreds of counterfeit accounts, posing as authentic Americans, flooded platforms such as X, Facebook, and Instagram, disseminating pro-occupation rhetoric.
• Specific focus was placed on influencing US lawmakers, particularly targeting black and Democratic representatives, like New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries and Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock, urging continued support for “Israeli” military funding.
• The campaign harnessed the power of "ChatGPT” to craft numerous posts.
• Additionally, the occupation fabricated three fake news sites, like “Non-Agenda” and “UnFold Magazine”, which stole and rewrote material from CNN and the Wall Street Journal to promote “Israel’s” stance during the war.

While the fake accounts amassed over 40,000 followers across X, Facebook, and Instagram, Meta clarified that a significant portion of these followers likely consisted of bots, not genuine audiences.

Also Read: Investigation exposes “Israeli” group spreading disinformation on Oct. 7

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alongside OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, have announced their detection and disruption of the operation.

Moreover, NYT uncovered emails and WhatsApp messages distributed to numerous “Israeli” tech startups, soliciting their participation in "digital soldier meetings" aimed at bolstering support for “Israel” during the war.