🔻Warfare Analysis NEWS

🔺️Injuries in an Israeli bombing that targeted a kindergarten in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip

[A.k]

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🔺ISRAEL'S MASS ONLINE INFLUENCE SYSTEM

Israel has responded to its "clear loss" to Palestinian resistance on the digital battlefield by making its first-ever purchase of a technological system capable of conducting mass online influence campaigns, as reported by Haaretz.

🔺So, what is Hasbara?

It is a Hebrew word meaning "explanation" or "clarification," but in reality, it is an organized propaganda machine.

🔺The Israeli bought hasbara system can, among other things, automatically create content tailored to specific audiences.The technology was purchased as part of a wider attempt by Israeli bodies, both civilian and military to address what was termed as "Israel's public diplomacy fail".

🔺According to sources knowledgeable about Israel's public diplomacy efforts – "hasbara," the system is intended to counter what they and researchers termed a well-oiled online "hate machine" systematically pushing out anti-Israeli and pro-Hamas "disinformation", "misinformation" and October 7th "denialism".

🔺The first hour of the war revealed how hopelessly unprepared Israel's 'defense' establishment was for handling social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, and even messaging apps like Telegram, as the internet (and Israeli society) was flooded with videos filmed by the resistance.

🔺Israeli high-tech workers and firms immediately stepped up to fill the void: As part of a volunteer "war room," technology for mapping social media platforms or even facial recognition abilities were developed.

🔺This proved to not be enough and lacked the ability to push out information (hasbara). Israel's intelligence community discovered there was a "dire national need" for influence to counter Hamas' information warfare, amid genuine widespread destruction and death in Gaza [videos and pictures depicting the suffering of the Palestinians caused by israel].

🔺The goal was to counter that using semi-official communication channels – the most successful of which is "Gaza Now" on X and Telegram, which has millions of subscribers – have become the go-to source for information from Gaza, documenting the Israeli attacks from the ground.

🔺The IDF found it was limited in its ability to actively counter the seemingly endless flow of visual materials being shared across the world of the genocide, amplified by pro-palestinian users acting in good faith.

🔺Israeli civilian volunteers have tried to make Israel's "case" online, as well as reporting posts that break any platform rules. Unfortunately for Israel the pro-palestinian content and content showcasing the cruelty and brutality of Israel and its IDF went viral again and again.

🔺As a result, Israel decided to purchase an existing technology instead of risk developing one independently. A number of civilian tools and programs developed for business and political campaigns were procured. A system capable of automatically creating websites, among other things, as well as content tailored to specific audiences; a system for monitoring social media and messaging platforms like Telegram, and others.

🔺The first campaign created by the system is already running online.

🔺The campaign is not in Hebrew and does not focus on the war at all, but instead on antisemitism and countering anti-Zionist narratives, for example a social media account would try to show Israel in good light, like how some IDF are not pro-war and not all Israelis are genocidal and are "in fact" peace loving "immigrants".

🔺After months of volunteer efforts, including massive investment of resources by local tech and advertising firms, the Diaspora Affairs Ministry has, sources says, finally started funding civilian projects and the volunteer effort is winding down.

🔺The information war is just beginning for Israel.

[G&T]

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