Haaretz and Fake Reporter revealed on Tuesday that a network of Iranian agents began infiltrating Israeli social media networks in 2021 and launched a large-scale operation to cause conflict in the country by pitting various sectors against each other: left versus right, secular versus religious, and supporters of Netanyahu versus his opponents.

The network operates across platforms including TikTok, Whatsapp, X (Twitter), Telegram, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook and includes dozens of fictitious profiles, bots, groups, impersonator accounts, a dating platform, and fake websites.

Among other things, the foreign agents posed as journalists, social activists and well-known Rabbanim and spread false claims about the falsification of election results and inflammatory messages against the Charedi public and other sectors. Recently, the operators of the network began to focus on the protests of the family members of the hostages and even connected with leading protesters.

As part of the campaign, fake profiles were launched on social networks for seven well-known Rabbanim, including HaGaon HaRav Avigdor Nebenzhal, HaGaon HaRav Reuven Elbaz, and HaGaon HaRav HaRav Shlomo Amar.

The number of followers/friends following the fake accounts ranges from hundreds to thousands. For example, the fake Facebook profile of Rabbi Reuven Elbaz has about 5,000 members and the fake YouTube account of Rav Shlomo Amar has about 100 subscribers.

FakeReporter stated: “We demand that the security forces and social networks act immediately to block the network and regulate the activity of social networks in Israel to ensure the welfare and safety of its citizens.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)