The Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism has published a special report claiming that the Iranian regime is operating dozens of fake online accounts that impersonate Israeli users and international media outlets in an effort to spread disinformation.
According to the report, the campaign began during recent operations against Iran and has since expanded, with the alleged goal of distributing false reports, exaggerating the extent of damage caused by the fighting, and weakening morale among the Israeli public and audiences abroad.
The ministry said the main messages promoted by the accounts included claims of a high number of Israeli casualties, the circulation of images depicting widespread destruction, reports of the deaths of senior officials and professionals, claims of a leadership crisis, and assertions of mass emigration from Israel.
The report stated that some of the accounts gained hundreds of thousands of followers and generated millions of views, comments and shares. Some of the content was even cited by media outlets around the world, according to the ministry.
The ministry identified Twitter as a major channel for distributing the material, citing what it described as insufficient enforcement mechanisms. The report said the phenomenon was more limited on Facebook and Instagram. It also claimed that artificial intelligence tools were used to create fabricated images and videos, combining real footage with exaggerated or false information.
The report said the network relied on impersonating Israeli soldiers, university staff and civilians, with coordinated profiles sharing one another’s posts in order to increase credibility and make the accounts more difficult to remove.
The ministry also said it identified fake "news" networks using international-sounding names, including an account called "American News," which allegedly published hundreds of AI-generated videos showing destruction in Israel and the United States.
Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli responded to the report, saying: "Alongside Iran's efforts to delegitimize Israel abroad, this research exposes a systematic and coordinated Iranian attempt to influence public opinion in Israel by infiltrating internal Israeli online discourse."
"Through fake accounts impersonating Israelis, Iranian actors are working to undermine public trust, create demoralization and deepen divisions within Israeli society," he said.
Chikli added that "these attempts will not succeed in breaking the spirit of the people of Israel, who have repeatedly demonstrated their resilience even in the most difficult hours."
He called on the public to remain cautious regarding the information they consume and share, adding that the ministry would continue monitoring, exposing and disrupting hostile influence operations in cooperation with relevant authorities. He said the findings had been transferred to security officials for further review.
The ministry's Director General, Avi Cohen Skali, said the report differed from previous ministry findings that focused on Iranian efforts to delegitimize Israel internationally. "The current clear Iranian attempt is to influence public opinion inside Israel through online manipulation of Israeli discourse, in order to weaken and divide the people within the State of Israel," he said.