Dubious horror scenarios are flooding the media. One can guess who this serves
From a dramatic nuclear threat by Iran to reports on the strengthening of the Syrian Air Force, 15 alarming reports attributed to anonymous security sources have been published recently. Some turned out to be fake, and the credibility of others is in doubt, but many made their way into Benjamin Netanyahu's speeches. While there is no evidence of an organized scare campaign, the elections are around the corner.
About a week ago, a strange story was revealed in 'Yedioth Ahronoth' and on ynet. It began with a dramatic quote attributed by a controversial far-right blogger in India to Ahmad Vahidi, a senior official in the Revolutionary Guards, claiming Tehran admits it is developing nuclear weapons. If true, this would have been a historic development. For decades, the Iranian regime has claimed its nuclear program is for civilian needs.
The problem was that Vahidi never said these things. An extensive search yielded no speech, video, or transcript where the quote was spoken. From India, where it was published without a source in broken English, it rolled over to an Israeli account with a security-oriented appearance, then reached Channel 14. Shortly after, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quoted this 'admission' in a public speech, giving the fake an official stamp. Eventually, even American media, including Fox News, had to issue corrections.
Analyzing the Media Landscape
In a world of false information, the investigation into the Vahidi affair (conducted with 'Bodkim') provided something rare: a documented path of a false report — from a foreign account without a source to the Prime Minister's speech. When asked how the Prime Minister includes false information in his speeches, Netanyahu's office gave a vague response, failing to deny the fake.
A check of national media broadcasts over a month (July 12 to August 12) identified 15 distinct threat stories, eight of which followed a pattern: an anonymous security source, a threatening scenario, and a lack of data. Five of these stories emerged within just 48 hours, between August 9 and 11, including reports on Syrian army rearmament, a 'Sunni ring of fire,' and threats from Turkey.
Political Context
Perhaps this is all coincidental. We have no document ordering a 'scare campaign,' nor a recording of a meeting where someone ordered the public to be plunged into existential anxiety. However, the cluster of coincidences raises questions. The vocabulary is similar: 'security establishment identifies,' 'senior officials warn.' Often, the phrase 'published with censor approval' is added to lend weight.
The problem is that the term 'security establishment' creates an illusion of institutional consensus. The viewer does not know if the source is Aman, Mossad, or the Minister's office. Assessments become facts, and fears become immediate threats. When the phrase 'the next October 7' is used, the possibility of debate vanishes.
One cannot ignore that elections are near. On Channel 14, Iran, Turkey, Syria, and Hamas are painted as parts of a tightening ring, with Benjamin Netanyahu presented as the only leader capable of saving the country. A fake does not have to remain a fake forever; if it circulates long enough, it becomes the 'background' upon which a new reality is built.
