US: Russia sought to exploit judicial overhaul to divide Jews, influence ’24 election
Justice Department affidavit reveals disinformation plot to twist opinions of those invested in Jewish state in order ‘to rip Israel out of the general Western anti-Russian agenda’
The US Justice Department alleged on Wednesday that a Russian disinformation campaign sought to exacerbate tensions among Israelis and Jews in the United States — particularly over the contentious judicial overhaul plan of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government — in order to influence voters in the 2024 US presidential election and twist public opinion on the Ukraine war.
In a 277-page affidavit publicized by the Justice Department, prosecutors unveiled a widespread Russian operation it has dubbed “Doppelganger,” to “covertly spread Russian government propaganda” through fake social media profiles, fabricated influencers, AI and cybersquatting, to influence public opinion.
One portion of the disinformation campaign, the department revealed, was to “target Jewish communities across the globe, first and foremost in Israel and the US.” The Russian company Social Design Agency (SDA) created detailed guidelines on how to impersonate Israelis online and share fake articles that push a Russian narrative, the affidavit stated.
The charges came as part of a wide crackdown unveiled on Wednesday by the Biden administration, which seized Kremlin-run websites and charged two Russian state media employees in its most sweeping effort yet to push back against what it says are Russian attempts to spread disinformation ahead of the November presidential election.
The measures, which in addition to indictments also included sanctions and visa restrictions, represented a US government effort just weeks before the November election to disrupt a persistent threat from Russia that American officials have long warned has the potential to sow discord and create confusion among voters.
The affidavit concerning SDA shares that the organization’s detailed plan to twist the opinions of those invested in Israel in order “to rip Israel out of the general Western anti-Russian agenda and to create a sustainable public opinion which would deem neo-Nazism and dictatorship in Ukraine, rendering aid to neo-Nazis, and, therefore, the escalation of the conflict by the West and helping anti-Russian political emigration unacceptable.”
The SDA plan noted that conditions appeared ripe for such a campaign in Israel due to the heavy divisions that were plaguing the country over the judicial overhaul being pushed by Netanyahu’s government for much of 2023. The outline noted that “tens of thousands” of people rallied nationwide against the overhaul, and some have threatened “an open civil war,” a situation it saw as ideal for exploitation.
The outline for the project organized by SDA stated that “it’s obvious that we need to support the legitimate Israeli government against the left-wingers supported by the” Democratic Party in the US. “It is also obvious that the Jewish population of the US is divided with regards to the issues of Ukraine and Israel, just as the population of Israel itself.”
Therefore, it added, “influencing the public opinion of Israel will impact the public opinion of Jewish voters in the US prior to the 2024 presidential elections.”
The campaign involved creating online content in Hebrew, English and Russian across a variety of social media platforms, sharing posts and videos and commenting on other social media content while posing as Israelis and Jews.
The project outline included in the affidavit states that the campaign should adopt an ideology of “moderately religious Zionism of Soviet Jews (approximately matches the ideology platforms of Likud and Religions Zionism parties which are part of the government coalition.”
One major focus of their online efforts, it said, should be “reminding” people about the memory of the Holocaust, and linking the current Ukrainian government to World War II-era groups who took part in massacres of Jews — an approach Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken several times since his invasion of Ukraine.
Washington has said that Moscow, which intelligence officials have said has a preference for Republican Donald Trump, remains the primary threat to elections even as the FBI continues to investigate a hack by Iran this year that targeted the presidential campaigns of both political parties.
In unveiling the charges on Wednesday, officials announced the seizure of 32 internet domains that were used by the Kremlin to spread Russian propaganda and weaken international support for Ukraine. The websites were designed to look like authentic news sites but were actually fake, with bogus social media personas manufactured to appear as if they belonged to American users — or those from other countries being targeted.
Intelligence agencies have previously charged that Russia, which during the 2016 election launched a massive campaign of foreign influence and interference on Trump’s behalf, was using disinformation to try to meddle in this year’s election. The new steps show the depth of those concerns.
“Today’s announcement highlights the lengths some foreign governments go to undermine American democratic institutions,” the State Department said. “But these foreign governments should also know that we will not tolerate foreign malign actors intentionally interfering and undermining free and fair elections.”
