X Exposes Pro-Israel Bot Farms, Mainstream Media Shrugs
Funny how sophisticated influence campaigns are only 'news' when they're not aligned with US foreign policy. While mainstream outlets clutched their pearls over 'Russian interference' with a budget that pales in comparison, the persistent, well-funded digital pushing of Israeli government narratives—often by non-Israeli actors—gets a polite nod, if any coverage at all. (Remember how the Israeli
Foreign Ministry openly boasted about its 'digital diplomacy' efforts back in 2010? Their words, not ours.) One might wonder if the same politicians decrying 'foreign influence' on social platforms would apply that outrage to organizations like AIPAC, which poured a reported $24 million into U.S. elections in 2022 alone, openly influencing domestic policy debates. (Source: OpenSecrets.org, 'AIPAC:
Top Recipients'). But, alas, only some foreign influence is created equal in the halls of Washington and the studios of corporate media. How many bots does it take to change a lightbulb, or more accurately, a foreign policy?