A comprehensive study published Wednesday by Israeli disinformation watchdog FakeReporter paints a troubling picture of the false information that flooded social media on election day, generating more than 3 million cumulative views. Among its findings were AI-generated images shared by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the misuse of the image of the late Shiri Bibas and an online network linked to Iran.

Together, these incidents turned Election Day into a digital battleground filled with manipulation. The report identified a series of false campaigns designed to influence public opinion, intimidate voters and undermine confidence in the election results. According to the findings, misleading content was spread by politicians, social media influencers and media outlets.

'Arabs are flocking to the polls': The AI version

One of the report's central findings concerns a coordinated fear campaign surrounding voter turnout in Arab communities, which was portrayed as a threat.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared a Channel 14 report on X claiming "unusual congestion at polling stations in the Arab sector," accompanied by an image purportedly showing crowds of voters at a polling station in Sakhnin.

FakeReporter researchers determined that the image was entirely fabricated using an AI image generator. The post was subsequently amplified by coalition lawmakers, including Almog Cohen, and media personalities such as Yinon Magal, accumulating more than 2 million views on its...

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