Israel has reportedly purchased artificial media intelligence systems in an attempt to influence world public opinion and defend its narrative of the war on Gaza.
In a report published on Tuesday, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz cited “numerous sources with knowledge of the matter” as saying that Israel has responded to “its ‘clear loss’ to Hamas on the digital battlefield by making its first-ever purchase of a technological system capable of conducting mass online influence campaigns”.
According to Haaretz, “The technology was purchased as part of a wider attempt by Israeli bodies, both civilian and military, to address what sources termed ‘Israel’s public diplomacy failure’,” following the Hamas military operation on October 7 and the subsequent genocidal war on Gaza.
Countering Anti-Israel Content
The sources reported that the system is intended to address what they call an online “hate machine”, which “undercut the rationale behind the war and the IDF spokesperson’s credibility”.
“The first hour of the war revealed how hopelessly unprepared Israel’s defense establishment was for handling social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, and even messaging apps like Telegram,” the report stated.
According to Haaretz, since the start of the war, “Hamas has led a massively successful public communications campaign, which sources describe as a ‘PsyOp – 0r a ‘psychological’ influence operation.”
Israel has responded to its "clear loss" to Hamas on the digital battlefield by making its first-ever purchase of a technological system capable of conducting mass online influence campaigns, according to numerous sources with knowledge of the matterhttps://t.co/G9HRq0NOon
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) January 16, 2024
The system aims to counter anti-Israel online content, including “Anti-Israel posts expressing political support for the Palestinians and opposing Israel’s conduct.”
“Israeli civilian volunteers have tried to make Israel’s case online, as well as reporting posts that break platform rules,” the report added.
The “civilian volunteers”, however, seem to be part of a larger scheme.
In fact, according to the report, “a few weeks into the war, Israel set up a ‘hasbara forum’ comprising government agencies, offices and ministries, as well as military, defense and intelligence bodies – including the IDF, the Shin Bet security service and the National Security Council – alongside tech firms, civilians volunteer initiatives and even Jewish organizations, that meets weekly.”
Mapping Online Audiences
According to Haaretz, Israel purchased existing technology, including “A number of civilian tools and programs developed for business and political campaigns”.
Specifically, these tools included: “A system for mapping online audiences; a system capable of automatically creating websites, among other things, as well as content tailored to specific audiences; a system for monitoring social media and messaging platforms, and others.”
According to Haaretz, “the first campaign created by the system is already running online.”
Haaretz said that the Prime Minister’s Office denied the report stating that “Israel conducts its substantial international hasbara efforts openly.”
Losing All Credibility
The genocidal campaign on Gaza, which started on October 7, has sparked outrage worldwide.
“Not only is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu losing credibility among Israelis, according to various public opinion polls. But the entire Israeli political establishment seems to be losing the trust of ordinary Israelis as well,” Palestine Chronicle editors Ramzy Baroud and Romana Rubeo wrote in a recent article.
“Indeed, every day, Israel loses credibility to the point that the initial Israeli lies of what had taken place on October 7, eventually proved disastrous to Israel’s overall image and credibility on the international stage,” they added.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
