Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in a special interview with Israel Hayom slammed those calling for an investigation into Likud's "bot network."
"On April 9, the bots will stream to the voting booths," Netanyahu told Israel Hayom.
"The 'bot plot' shows how arrogant they are. They haven't even thought about the fact that Likud voters are real people, capable of thinking independently. In their eyes, [Likud voters] are not people. First they call us riffraff, then baboons, and now bots.
"Anyone who cares what people think of him - he's not someone people think of. If I cared what people think of me, I wouldn't be here for even a minute. Not a minute! Not in politics, not in business, not in newspapers. You have no existence if you're a slave to what people think of you. They'll think of you what you think of yourself."
Questioning Blue and White leader Benny Gantz's supporters, Netanyahu asked: "If he crumbles in an interview, how will he stand up to the pressures [of being Prime Minister]?"
Earlier this week, a new report suggested bot activity on social media outlets may be part of a campaign to alter the outcome of the elections.
The report, produced by the Big Bots Project, claims that hundreds of social media accounts, many of them fake, are being used in a concerted effort to spread negative claims about rival candidates challenging Netanyahu ahead of next week’s Knesset election.