- September 17, 2024
- 5:04 pm
- Israel
Leaked documents from the company behind the Kremlin’s global disinformation campaign provide a rare glimpse into the shadow war Russia is waging against Israel. According to the documents, the Russians weren’t limited to spreading inflammatory fake news; they were also planning to open an office in Israel, influence elected officials, and use them to advance policies on Jewish immigration and the war in Ukraine.
An international investigation was conducted Shomrim. Various media outlets in Israel also published this journalistic material about the Russian influence campaign. Main publications: N12, Ynet, Calcalist, Mako and others.
Shomrim — is an Israeli non-profit organization that engages in investigative journalism. It focuses on conducting independent investigative journalism on current social, political and economic issues, both in Israel and abroad. The organization's main goal is to increase transparency and draw attention to issues that often do not receive adequate coverage in traditional media.
Newly obtained internal documents by Shomrim reveal Russia’s extensive and cynical attempts to influence public opinion in Israel, and the limitations of these efforts. The leak includes thousands of documents such as emails, internal plans, and forged articles, providing a rare glimpse into the Russian campaign. The goal of this campaign was to deepen internal divisions in Israel, deepen tensions, undermine international relations, and reduce Israeli support for Ukraine.
The documents show support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his stance on the war in Ukraine, as well as plans to create a new Russian-language party that could take several seats in the Knesset. Russia also tried to influence Russian-speaking politicians, distribute anti-Ukrainian materials in synagogues, and provoke social conflicts through graffiti in Arab areas of Israel.
Outside of Israel, Russians have been distributing anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli material in an attempt to undermine Israel's relations with other countries. The documents were leaked by the Moscow-based Social Design Agency (SDA), which is linked to the Kremlin and has targeted a number of countries, including Israel, Germany, and the United States. The leak was carried by several major European and Israeli media outlets, including Shomrim.
Earlier this month, some of the leaked documents were mentioned in an FBI report detailing a global Russian disinformation campaign. But now Shomrim has been able to reveal that SDA was also planning to carry out real political actions in Israel that went beyond online activity.
The company's founder reports directly to Putin
Founded in 2017, Social Design Agency (SDA) plays a significant role in the Russian government’s efforts to manipulate public opinion and influence politics in various countries. The company employs more than 100 people, including translators into Arabic and Hebrew. In response to its subversive activities, the US imposed sanctions on SDA, considering it a key player in Russia’s global disinformation campaigns.
The company’s founder, Ilya Gambashidze, has worked with various Russian politicians over the past decade. According to the U.S. State Department, he works under the direction of Sergei Kiriyenko, a former Russian prime minister and current top Kremlin official. The FBI report also indicates that Gambashidze reported directly to President Vladimir Putin, and that SDA employees maintained contact with other Kremlin officials.
As part of the “doppelganger” campaign, the company operated more than 60 fake websites that spread pro-Russian propaganda and disinformation about Ukraine. SDA also monitored the online activity of more than 2,800 influential individuals from 81 countries, including journalists, academics, politicians, and bloggers. For example, in France, the company tried to use the influence of former high-ranking military officers to spread negative information about support for Ukraine and to create tensions between France and Russia.
“The Wisdom of the Israeli Prime Minister”
Israel plays a key role in the Russian campaign, both as a target and as part of a broader strategy to influence other countries. According to an internal SDA document from 2023, amid mass protests against judicial reform in Israel, the current situation in the country was deemed ideal for launching a campaign to influence public opinion. The document details the political and social environment in Israel and lists Russian citizens living there who should be closely monitored. The main goals of the campaign include increasing support for Russia in the war with Ukraine to 50% among Israelis and increasing the number of those who hold anti-Israel views. It was also aimed at ensuring that no party in the Knesset supports military aid to Ukraine.
SDA monitored Israeli media and opinion leaders to create content that would advance Russian goals. The company produced 50 cartoons about Israel each month, posted about 20 fake articles on fake news sites, and left numerous comments on social media. The content included cartoons depicting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky burning an Israeli flag and articles accusing the Israeli left of supporting Hamas.
The leak places particular emphasis on the fact that the Arab community in Israel was one of the important targets. For example, a fake article was distributed in Arabic about Israel's lack of precision munitions due to their transfer to Ukraine, which would allegedly lead to failures on the battlefield. The purpose of the article was to encourage the Arab population to support Israel's enemies.
The outbreak of the war in Gaza gave Russia an opportunity to advance its goals. One document called for the need to present “the wisdom and foresight of the Israeli prime minister” in a positive light. The narratives argued that if Netanyahu approved the sale of the Iron Dome system to Ukraine, it would leave the Israeli home front vulnerable to attack.
Other documents suggested painting provocative graffiti in Arab areas of Israel to increase internal tensions and spreading false accusations in synagogues.
The war in Gaza also served to widen the divide between Israel and the international community. In Turkey, Russians spread narratives that Israel is the enemy of all Muslims, fueling anti-Semitic sentiment.
Immigration to Israel worries Russians
“Russians benefit from leak”
It is unclear whether SDA’s influence campaign has achieved its goals in Israel, which may explain the company’s desire to step up its efforts and begin conducting operations on the ground. Experts who have reviewed the documents suggest that the leak may play into SDA’s hands, as it paints the company as a powerful player with influence in many countries, despite questions about the campaign’s actual success.
Dr Ofer Friedman, a specialist in Russian information warfare at King’s College London, believes that the leaks are beneficial to Russia. He explains that the leaks give the Kremlin credit for the subversive campaigns, creating the impression that the Kremlin is behind them, regardless of the truth. This, Friedman says, makes the Kremlin appear more powerful and influential on the international stage than it actually is.
The Russian government and the Social Design Agency did not respond to Shomrim's requests for comment.
