Revealed: Russia's Strategic Influence Campaign Targeting Israel

In a series of leaked documents recently published by leading German media outlets, Russia's plans to launch an extensive influence campaign in Israel have come to light. The leaked information, originating from the Moscow-based Social Design Agency (SDA), exposes a Russian effort to sway public opinion in Israel, particularly amid the country's ongoing political and social unrest, as reported by IntelNews.

The SDA, which was established in 2017, has been implicated in multiple international influence campaigns. The agency is known to collaborate closely with Russian intelligence and has been sanctioned by the United States for its role in foreign malign activities. According to the leaked documents, SDA's influence efforts in Israel were strategically designed to exploit the mass protests against judicial reforms and the country's internal political divisions.

Target: Israel's Political Landscape

The leaked files reveal that one of the primary goals of the Russian influence operation was to garner support for Russia's war against Ukraine within Israel. The documents suggest that the Kremlin sought to ensure that no political factions in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, would back military aid for Ukraine, as reported by IntelNews.

In addition, the campaign aimed to increase anti-Ukrainian sentiment among the Israeli public. The strategy included circulating fake news and manipulating social media narratives to create divisions within Israeli society. One document from 2023 describes Israel's volatile political climate as "ideal" for sowing discord and influencing public opinion.

Influence Tactics: Cartoons, Fake News, and Social Media Ads

The Russian campaign, orchestrated by the SDA, utilized a range of digital tactics to spread disinformation. These included distributing around 50 cartoons per month on social media platforms and publishing approximately 20 fictitious articles on fake websites. Many of these ads falsely depicted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky burning the Israeli flag, or linked Israeli left-wing activists to groups like Hamas. The campaign was also directed at Israel's Arab community, with fabricated articles aimed at stoking tensions.

One Arabic-language article falsely claimed that Israel's lack of precision weapons - due to military aid sent to Ukraine - would result in battlefield failures, encouraging the Arab population to rise against the Israeli government.

Exploiting the Gaza Conflict

The documents suggest that Russia saw the outbreak of the war in Gaza as an opportunity to further its narrative. The Kremlin sought to portray Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as having wisely protected Israel by not selling its Iron Dome defence system to Ukraine. Had this sale gone through, according to Russian disinformation, Israel would have been left vulnerable to attacks, as reported by IntelNews.

Other plans mentioned in the leaked documents involved orchestrating provocative actions, such as distributing inflammatory leaflets in synagogues or graffiti in Arab neighbourhoods to further divide Israeli society.

Russian Influence in Israeli Politics

The Russian campaign did not stop at media manipulation. According to the leaks, Russian officials also sought to influence Israeli politicians, especially those of Russian origin. The documents specifically mention MK Yuli Edelstein, the chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, although he is a well-known supporter of Ukraine. The documents even proposed the creation of a new political party of immigrants, which could secure 3-4 seats in the Knesset, giving Russia more sway in Israel's internal policies.

Did Russia Succeed?

While the influence campaign garnered some attention, the SDA's efforts in Israel appear to have fallen short of their goals. Despite some success in spreading disinformation and manipulating social media discourse, the SDA's impact was limited. As a result, the agency was reportedly instructed to escalate its operations beyond the digital space and consider opening a physical office in Israel with a proposed annual budget of $1.2 million, as per the news report.

This leak is yet another reminder of Russia's broader ambitions to influence international politics, not just in Israel but around the globe. It adds to the growing body of evidence about Kremlin-backed subversive activities designed to destabilize democratic nations.