Federal lawmakers in the US have dodged repeated investigations over the past week into a covert operation ordered by the Israeli government to artificially boost American support for Israel. war in Gaza. At the same time, senior White House officials tasked with advising President Joe Biden on national security matters are claiming ignorance of the operation – the first to be revealed more publicly four months ago.
This operation, officially tied to the Israeli government by a reporter for the New York Times last week, which began in October 2023 following a surprise attack by Hamas in southern Israel. International researchers began working to show up campaign in February, identify A series of “suspicious accounts” on US-based social media apps, most posing as Americans, claimed to support the Israeli military response.
In addition to eroding support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which provides assistance to 5.6 million Palestinian refugees, the operation’s main goal, researchers say of Israel is to change the perspective of black Americans. According to the Times — citing four current and former Israeli officials who confirmed their government carried out the operation — its main targets included the account of U.S. congressman Hakeem Jeffries, leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, among others, “Blacks and Democrats.” .”
Accounts linked to the operation—many of which, at the time of writing, remained active on X, despite being suspended on other platforms—promoted the hashtag #Black Lives Matter and sharing pictures of Martin Luther King Jr. along with fabricated quotes. A website created for this activity includes articles with titles such as “Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and Their Support for Jews and Israel.” Some examples of accounts used in the campaign, many created weeks before the October 7 Hamas attack. killing about 1,200 peopleadvertise themselves as “Christians.”
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Multiple questions posed to senior members of Jeffries’ staff, including his communications director, Andy Eichar, went unanswered for nearly a week. WIRED sought to address whether Jeffries ever received notification of the activity from U.S. intelligence while Congress debated $14 billion in funding to supplement Israel’s war effort.
Israeli forces have killed more than 36,000 Palestinians since the October 7 attack by Hamas. according to estimates by Gaza health officialsincluding dozens of people last Thursday at the United Nations school complex, where Israeli troops allegedly carried out “Improper use” of an American-made bomb.
Except for the White House’s National Security Council, which on Thursday declared no knowledge of the operation, and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, whose office told WIRED it planned to request During a briefing on the issue, the press asked questions regarding Israel’s efforts. attempts to secretly influence America’s view of the war encountered roadblocks.
