Tel Aviv Conference Warns of Foreign Interference and Disinformation Ahead of Elections

Two weeks before the opening of the polling stations, a special emergency conference titled Law and Lies was held in Tel Aviv, initiated by the Brandeis Institute and the Fake Reporter organization. The event focused on protecting the public from disinformation, incitement, and foreign interference on social media, outlining urgent steps the next government must take. The discussions highlighted alarming data, revealing that 40% of Israelis believe in the betrayal from within conspiracy theory—the false claim that senior military officials plotted the October 7 attacks—and that 43 foreign influence networks operated in Israel between 2021 and 2025.

Although all political parties with a realistic chance of crossing the electoral threshold were invited, Member of Knesset Michal Woldiger of Religious Zionism was the sole representative from the coalition parties to attend. Her presence in the hall was greeted with applause by the audience. Roi Shushan, head of the public department at Fake Reporter, told media outlets that coalition responses ranged from total indifference to outright dismissal of the issue's importance. He noted attempts to frame the event as partisan, stressing that the crisis transcends political divisions, citing the participation of figures like Rafi Ben-Shitrit from Yisrael Beytenu.

The Threat of Election Day Disinformation

Addressing worst-case scenarios, organizers warned of deliberate, large-scale disinformation campaigns designed to disrupt discourse just as polls close, mirroring recent tactics observed in Slovakia and Romania. Shushan emphasized that the poison machine operates daily to dehumanize targeted groups, while messaging platforms like Telegram—used by 70% of Israelis—lack legal accountability or local representation. Survey findings presented at the conference by Brandeis Institute and Fake Reporter via iPanel showed overwhelming public consensus: 81% of Israelis believe the state should regulate social media by law, compared to only 6% who trust platforms to self-police.

Support for legislative intervention spans the political spectrum, reaching 85% among right-wing and Haredi respondents, 87% in the political center, and 94% on the left. Furthermore, 86% favor restricting or labeling automated bots in political discourse, 88% demand algorithmic transparency for political content recommendations, and 87% insist that foreign platforms maintain local representation accessible in Hebrew and Arabic. To protect minors, 85% of citizens and 88% of parents support compelling platforms to combat addictive features, while 74% advocate setting a minimum age of 16 for social media access.

Political Leaders Announce Defensive Measures

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid announced the completion of a dedicated fake news operations room that he will personally manage on election day. Lapid argued that the core problem is political rather than technological, pointing to historical and modern fabrication campaigns as proof of systemic manipulation. The Democrats leader, Maj. Gen. (res.) Yair Golan, warned that the poison machine would escalate its output with unprecedented force to spread malicious rumors against the Central Election Committee, vowing that his party would enforce defensive democracy to expose funding sources and hold foreign tech giants legally liable.

The conference also featured testimonies from public figures affected by digital harassment. Eyal Eshal, whose daughter Roni Eshal fell at the Nahal Oz observation post on October 7, shared his ordeal of facing online death threats after demanding accountability, criticizing law enforcement for lenient responses. Channel 12 legal correspondent Guy Peleg similarly recounted becoming a political target subjected to sustained protests, intimidation campaigns, and targeted labeling following his investigative reports.

Legislative Proposals and Regulatory Solutions

During a panel discussion moderated by journalist Nesli Barda, lawmakers and public figures debated actionable legislative initiatives. MK Michal Woldiger emphasized her proposed bill to regulate social media platforms, introducing legal jurisdiction in Israeli courts, parental monitoring tools, and hefty fines for non-compliance. MK Efrat Rayten called for robust state oversight to protect democracy, while Eitan Ginzburg of the Be-Yachad list urged the establishment of an independent regulatory authority to set digital safety standards and minimum age limits.