A foreign network operating on Israeli social media has resumed its activities, this time under a new and even more dangerous guise. The network, which was exposed by Ynet, operates under Iranian influence with the aim of amplifying discourse on various platforms, intensifying divisions, inciting hatred and spreading demoralization.
Meanwhile, it fuels anti-ultra-Orthodox sentiment, encourages violent street protests and even promotes refusals for IDF enlistment.
This network was initially identified by disinformation watchdog FakeReporter, which reported approximately 60 profiles, most of them on Facebook, responsible for over 18,000 posts across social media. These are dozens of coordinated bots with meticulously crafted identities, designed to evade detection as fake accounts.
After a months-long hiatus, during which some of these profiles disappeared from social media, they have recently reappeared with new, fabricated identities. These profiles are filled with stolen and fake information, allowing them to disguise themselves—albeit under different names.
For instance, the profile once known as "Daniel Oz" has now resurfaced as "David Abraham," with about 800 friends. "Aliza Ariel," with her 6,000 followers and suspicious tagline, “How beautiful is freedom in my homeland!” (complete with a grammatical error in the Hebrew original), has also returned after disappearing for some time. Similarly, "Shira Levi" (with 2,400 followers), now claiming to be a doctor, has reappeared and writes that Hanukkah “triggers my resistance fuse.”
Other profiles to watch out for include "Avraham Moshe," who has 2,400 followers, and "Keren Ovadya," with 3,800 followers. Furthermore, the profile "Maya Lee" has changed its name to "Maya Lipschitz" after its connections to other fake profiles were exposed. Its profile picture actually belongs to a high school student in Canada.
Another suspicious account is "Rebecca Elia." This profile frequently changes its photos, each time using a different woman. The bigger concern, however, is that it encourages users to join a Telegram group called "Patriotic Israelis." The group was created by a fake profile and publishes Iranian propaganda and other inciting content, alongside comments and posts from real Israelis who have unknowingly been duped. If you are a member of this group, you may want to consider leaving.
Iranian assets
FakeReporter explained that in an effort to evade detection, the operators of this foreign network initially locked these profiles, and in some cases even temporarily deactivated them. For some fake accounts, all identifying photos were deleted and replaced with new identities and names. The operators also removed any markers linking the accounts to their previous identities while leaving all posted content intact.
The reasoning behind this is clear: these fake profiles are valuable assets that their Iranian operators are unwilling to discard. The profiles have built a fabricated history that inspires trust, along with long lists of friends—most of whom are ordinary Israelis who were deceived. These connections enable the profiles to easily spread hostile, inciting messages and amplify content that serves the network’s goals.
Ahiya Schatz, CEO of FakeReporter, explains, “This is a serious and troubling phenomenon. Foreign elements are successfully infiltrating Israeli networks to spy, incite, and spread propaganda. Once exposed, they simply change the profiles’ identities without facing any consequences.”
Where Is Meta’s oversight?
Schatz criticizes Meta, Facebook’s parent company, for failing to alert users about these extreme profile changes or provide tools to defend against them. “If we were in the European Union, Facebook would be required to inform the public about what’s being done in this regard,” he said.
"But there’s no legislation or regulation in Israel, so the platforms choose not to share information with the public about those who endanger their safety. The state and Meta can protect us and combat this phenomenon, but they choose not to. The Israeli public struggles to cope with the various manipulations carried out by these foreign networks and finds itself abandoned online," Schatz says.
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One of the main factors enabling these fake profiles to blend into Israeli groups is the use of AI. With this technology, the bots communicate in proper Hebrew, their profile pictures undergo AI processing, making it impossible to identify their original sources, and their operators use the technology to create graphics and distort images to amplify the impact of their posts.
At the same time, these profiles spread incitement and demoralization videos produced, among others, by Hamas and Hezbollah. Many are circulated following dramatic events, such as attacks from Iran or during incidents like the dismissal of former defense minister Yoav Gallant, with the aim of creating rifts within Israeli society.
Meta did not respond by the time of publication and its response will be added if received.