Hundreds of fake accounts on X masquerading as ordinary Israelis have been uncovered by Spanish intelligence research company Golden Owl ahead of the country’s election. The operation, linked to Iran, generated at least 4.7 million views between August 11 and October 11, joining ongoing political arguments to fuel distrust.
Golden Owl Uncovers Iranian Influence Operation on X
An investigation by Spanish intelligence research company Golden Owl revealed hundreds of fabricated accounts operating on X, according to a report by the Israeli newspaper Calcalist. This occurred with less than a week remaining before Israel’s election.
These profiles used Hebrew names, Israeli flags, and invented personal histories to blend into online debates surrounding Benjamin Netanyahu, the ongoing war, and the nation’s political trajectory.
Golden Owl assessed 445 of these profiles as connected to an Iranian influence operation with high or medium-high confidence. Between August 11 and October 11, posts from the network accumulated at least 4.7 million views.
Researchers noted that the accounts avoided introducing novel arguments. Instead, they waded into topics already fiercely contested by real Israelis, including responsibility for the events of October 7, military service exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox, and the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Foreign Networks Target Trust in Institutions
By repeatedly injecting contentious debates into social media feeds, the accounts sought to amplify public anger, deepen mutual distrust, and foster a pervasive sense that nobody can be believed.
Monitoring by Golden Owl uncovered instances where manipulation efforts extended directly to the integrity of the vote itself. Accounts posted claims about electoral fraud and suggested the election might be postponed.
One earlier Golden Owl investigation featured an account named Alon Strauss. It was presented as an Israeli political commentator posting Hebrew criticisms of Netanyahu, but until April, the exact same profile had posted exclusively in Persian about Iranian politics.
TikTok Removes Thousands of Videos and Political Networks in Israel
Earlier this month, TikTok reported removing more than 45,000 videos in Israel for violating rules against election integrity, misinformation, and misleading AI-generated content.
Separately, TikTok uncovered a coordinated network of 306 accounts operating directly from Israel to amplify political messages.
An analysis by Israeli television’s Channel 12 of 368 TikTok videos across eight political accounts showed that much of the engagement centered on personalities, jokes, and casual interactions rather than policy substance. A commenter joked that former prime minister Naftali Bennett’s failure to put sauce in a toasted sandwich was enough to sway her vote, garnering nearly 2,000 likes among the monitored interactions.
The Final Hours Before Election Day
View counts and engagement metrics do not reveal whether anyone changed their vote or genuinely believed what they read.
None of the available reporting confirms the full extent of domestic automated interference or indicates how much seemingly spontaneous political discourse is quietly organized within Israel’s borders. As voters prepare to head to the polls on Tuesday, the automated accounts will have no ballot, yet they remain active participants in the national argument.
