# Israel targeted more than 120 US lawmakers in disinformation campaign **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 6, 2024, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568 "2024-06-06T20:25:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/1 "2024-06-06T20:25:26Z")
> **Israel targeted more than 120 US lawmakers in disinformation campaign** > > At least 128 members of Congress were targeted by an Israeli-linked operation to spread pro-Israel military content amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, according to data shared with POLITICO from an Israeli disinformation watchdog group. > > The existence of an influence campaign targeted at lawmakers was first made public in March. In it, around 600 fake profiles unleashed more than 2,000 coordinated comments per week backing Israel’s military actions, slamming Palestinian rights groups and dismissing claims of human rights abuses. > > According to The New York Times, Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs spent $2 million on the campaign and hired Israeli political marketing group STOIC to carry it out. [Politico](https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/05/israel-targeted-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign-00161906) This is the kind of thing that Russia and North Korea and China have been exposed as doing, but those countries have adversarial relationships with the United States. Israel is supposed to be an ally. How can the United States continue to militarily prop up a country that does this? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/2 "2024-06-06T21:17:06Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > How can the United States continue to militarily prop up a country that does this? Factually, probably because Israel has done enough to protect us against terrorist threats, helped us to negotiate certain things, and done enough other favors to have bought themselves a bit of slack. In a less real-politik sense, though, we should have left them to defend themselves a long time ago, when they started invading Islamic territory and creating settlements, there. At this point, we’re already well-past the point that we should have started to consider the wisdom of supporting criminality. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/3 "2024-06-06T21:24:27Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > How can the United States continue to militarily prop up a country that does this? This is nothing new; the United States spies and is spied upon by allies, and running ‘friendly’ influence campaigns falls in the bucket of ‘dirty tricks’ as long as it falls short of actually compromising national security. You’ll recall a little incident where [the US National Security Agency was caught ‘tapping’ communications of then German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-security-agency-spied-merkel-other-top-european-officials-through-danish-2021-05-30/), or back in 1975 when [the CIA collaborated with British MI6 to dismiss the Australian Prime Minister and force and election](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/23/gough-whitlam-1975-coup-ended-australian-independence), or just [the general shit-fuckery that the US engaged upon in elections and governance with allies and ‘partners’](https://www.npr.org/2016/12/22/506625913/database-tracks-history-of-u-s-meddling-in-foreign-elections) in the post-WWII world of _Pax Americana_. If you really want to work up a lather about things that Israel has done to the United States, read up on [the deliberate attack up on the _USS Liberty_](https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/06/08/were-fed-it-survivors-of-uss-liberty-look-answers-55-years-later.html) to prevent it from observing Israeli Air Force operations or [the theft of ~300 kg of highly enriched uranium from NUMEC](https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/nuclear-vault/2016-11-02/numec-affair-did-highly-enriched-uranium-us-aid-israels-nuclear-weapons-program). Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/4 "2024-06-06T22:02:29Z")
It’s definitely the kind of thing you do when you’ve got the moral high ground! Seriously though, Israel is so entrenched in US politics that separating ourselves even a little bit is a surgical process. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/5 "2024-06-06T22:04:17Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Factually, probably because Israel has done enough to protect us against terrorist threats, helped us to negotiate certain things, and done enough other favors to have bought themselves a bit of slack. Name one. Seriously, supporting Israel has _exposed_ us to terrorist threats. I’m not saying we shouldn’t support Israel, but saying Israel has _protected_ us from terrorist threats is delusional. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/6 "2024-06-06T23:13:22Z")
> [@Dissonance](#): > > Name one. > **[Exclusive: What Trump Really Told Kislyak After Comey Was Canned](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/11/trump-intel-slip)** > > During a May 10 meeting in the Oval Office, the president betrayed his intelligence community by leaking the content of a classified, and highly sensitive, Israeli intelligence operation to two high-ranking Russian envoys, Sergey Kislyak and Sergey... ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/7 "2024-06-07T00:04:16Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > If you really want to work up a lather about things that Israel has done to the United States, read up on [the deliberate attack up on the _USS Liberty_](https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/06/08/were-fed-it-survivors-of-uss-liberty-look-answers-55-years-later.html) to prevent it from observing Israeli Air Force operations The Liberty incident was an accidental case of friendly fire. This is nothing more than a conspiracy theory spun by cranks to foment antisemitism. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/8 "2024-06-07T01:55:17Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The Liberty incident was an accidental case of friendly fire. This is nothing more than a conspiracy theory spun by cranks to foment antisemitism The _USS Liberty_ was repeatedly scouted the morning prior to the attack by Israeli Air Force spotters low enough that crew reported they “rattled the deck plating”. The attacks occurred in mid-afternoon in mostly clear conditions, first by Mirages with cannon and rocket fire, followed by ground attack craft dropping naplam, and then a subsequent sea attack by torpedo boats. Despite claims that the vessel had no visible identifying marks it can be clearly seen to be well marked, flying multiple US flags (a large one was hoisted on the radar tower after the initial attack) and equipped with radar and antenna systems that were clearly not Egyptian or Soviet equipment. Secretary of State Dean Rusk repeatedly expressed disbelief in the official Israeli account to explain the multi-prong attack and failure to identify the vessel by the bow markings and hardware, including writing about it in his memoirs. As for your second statement, labeling any criticism of the Israeli government or military as “antisemitism” is prejudicial and unpersuasive rhetoric, and if you want to levy an accusation of promulgating “a conspiracy theory spun by cranks” you know where The Pit is. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/9 "2024-06-07T02:03:22Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The Liberty incident was an accidental case of friendly fire. This is nothing more than a conspiracy theory spun by cranks to foment antisemitism. While I think the friendly fire theory is far more likely than Israel trying to stop the United States NSA from doing its job, I also think that there would be similar conspiracy stories if the Liberty had been attacked by any other country. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/10 "2024-06-07T02:03:43Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs I can’t stop reading this as Israel’s ministry of **Dystopian** affairs. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/11 "2024-06-07T02:12:03Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > The _USS Liberty_ was repeatedly scouted the morning prior to the attack by Israeli Air Force spotters low enough that crew reported they “rattled the deck plating”. The attacks occurred in mid-afternoon in mostly clear conditions, first by Mirages with cannon and rocket fire, followed by ground attack craft dropping naplam, and then a subsequent sea attack by torpedo boats. Despite claims that the vessel had no visible identifying marks it can be clearly seen to be well marked, flying multiple US flags (a large one was hoisted on the radar tower after the initial attack) and equipped with radar and antenna systems that were clearly not Egyptian or Soviet equipment. And how much of that detail do you think was visible to fighter pilots travelling at the speed of sound who can’t actually see what they’re firing at? > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Secretary of State Dean Rusk repeatedly expressed disbelief in the official Israeli account to explain the multi-prong attack and failure to identify the vessel by the bow markings and hardware, including writing about it in his memoirs. And yer multiple US inquiries have determined that the cause was friendly fire. Given that the Liberty wasn’t even near the site of the supposed atrocities Israel was trying to cover up (which there is also no evidence for) and the US failed to notify Israel they were in theater, the idea that Israel would deliberately attack its only ally, during a war where losing would have meant a second Holocaust, and just barely hit it with harassing fire, then stop midway through the attack and immediately told the US Embassy what happened while it returned to port under its own power to tell the entire world they’d been attacked is downright ludicrous. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/12 "2024-06-07T02:28:37Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > And how much of that detail do you think was visible to fighter pilots travelling at the speed of sound who can’t actually see what they’re firing at? > [@Smapti](#): > > Given that the Liberty wasn’t even an intelligence ship and was nowhere near the site of the supposed atrocities Israel was trying to cover up (which there is also no evidence for), the idea that Israel would deliberately attack its only ally, during a war where losing would have meant a second Holocaust, and just barely hit it with harassing, then stop midway through the attack and immediately issue an apology while it returned to port under its own power to tell the entire world they’d been attacked is downright ludicrous. All of the highlighted statements are materially incorrect. 34 US sailors were killed and 171 wounded in the attack, which left a hole in the side of the ship large enough to drive two semitrucks through side by side. Many of the sailors were wounded or killed during strafing attacks by the torpedo boats which were obviously close enough to see markings and flags, and reports from the crew indicate that they fired upon crews doing damage control and deploying liferafts. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/13 "2024-06-07T02:40:07Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > All of the highlighted statements are materially incorrect. All of the highlighted statements are also from an older version of the post which I have since edited. The Israelis fired five torpedoes at the ship, four of which missed and the fifth of which didn’t cause enough damage to sink the ship, then called off the attack and immediately informed the US Embassy. Are those the actions of a country launching a deliberate attack on a ship they knew to be American? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/14 "2024-06-07T03:13:33Z")
Maybe the actions of a country that believed it had enough Intel to make the U.S. back down if push came to shove? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/15 "2024-06-07T03:46:43Z")
More likely the actions of a country that knew they fucked up and wanted to prevent things from spiralling out of control. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/16 "2024-06-07T04:20:20Z")
I want to point out that the OP is poisoning the well here- **Israel targeted more than 120 US lawmakers in disinformation campaign** However, the evidence that it is actually Israel is not solid- The New York Times [reported Wednesday](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/05/technology/israel-campaign-gaza-social-media.html) that t_he operation was backed by the Israeli government, citing multiple unnamed Israeli officials,_ Thus, it is not backed in fact. Next the basic for Politico- _according to data shared with POLITICO from an Israeli disinformation watchdog group._ and _POLITICO was not able to independently confirm that the Israeli government was behind the campaign._ and _A spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Washington declined comment on the report and pointed instead towards a statement denying involvement from the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs, which notes that the ministry “categorically” denies involvement._ _“We would like to clarify that neither the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs nor the Voices of Israel have any connection or collaborative activities with the company STOIC,” the statement reads. “Any claims suggesting otherwise are completely unfounded and inaccurate.”_ Note that all of this info was right there in the cite but the Op cut and pasted all the info that shows this \*isn’t a fact- but instead- a supposition out of his quotes. \* Mind you I am not denying it occured, but it has not be proven and the evidence is scant that the Government of Israel is behind it. So we are saying Israel is terrible and horrible- but without solid facts. “…citing multiple unnamed Israeli officials,…” is more or less bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/17 "2024-06-07T04:37:22Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > So we are saying Israel is terrible and horrible- but without solid facts. As has become de rigeur on this board of late. If the claims are true, then my ire is directed at the idiot politicians who can so easily baited into falling for social media propaganda, and the even bigger idiots who voted for them. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-targeted-more-than-120-us-lawmakers-in-disinformation-campaign/1002568/18 "2024-06-07T18:41:19Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > If the claims are true, then my ire is directed at the idiot politicians who can so easily baited into falling for social media propaganda, and the even bigger idiots who voted for them. And they may well be true, of course. In fact, I think they had _something_ to do with it. Also the kremlin does the same thing, and so do big companies- “astroturfing”.