Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs orchestrated a campaign that utilized fake social media accounts to lobby U.S. lawmakers for military funding, according to officials and documents, New York Times reports that Israel launched a covert influence campaign in the US last year, using pro-Israel messaging to sway lawmakers and the public, amid the conflict with Gaza. The campaign was orchestrated and funded by the Israeli government, according to officials and documents detailing the operation.
The ministry hired Tel Aviv-based political marketing firm Stoic to execute the operation, aimed at shaping public opinion and garnering support among US lawmakers and the American public, according to four Israeli officials and related documents. The New York Times said it uncovered evidence, confirmed by four current and former officials from the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and supporting documents, revealing the Israeli government’s involvement in the covert influence campaign.
