Lebanon-linked operators run fake Israeli 'news site', spread anti-Israel sentiments - exclusive

In January 2024, a website named “Dofek TV” was launched, offering news in Hebrew. At least two of its operators have been identified in Lebanon, along with posts featuring Arabic and Persian script marks. “The fact that foreign influence networks reach tens of thousands of Israelis has become unbearable,” Fake Reporter stated.

On January 17, 2024, “Dofek TV” (Dofek.tv) appeared as a new Israeli news site. It provides continuous updates on events in Israel and globally, with its editors claiming to “address Jewish issues in Israel and around the world.” Days later, additional digital assets like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube pages were added.

Most reports on “Dofek TV” involve extreme messages, societal divisiveness, and content that incites demoralization and despair. Part of the platform’s digital assets are promoted aggressively, making them hard to ignore. The Fake Reporter investigation reveals how seemingly foreign entities operate under the radar during wartime as part of hostile influence efforts that have intensified since the outbreak of war within Israel, marking a significant escalation.

Around 400 posts, in Hebrew and English, have been made on Dofek TV’s digital assets, attracting over 2,500 followers. The investigation by Fake Reporter, an Israel-based research project aimed at combating malicious activity on the internet, shows that the network’s operators “are listed as operating outside Israel.” Most, if not all, of the content is copied from existing Israeli news networks and websites. Despite considerable investment in graphics and content, the language used by the operators is either corrupted Hebrew or unconventional. Recently, videos featuring AI-based narration have been uploaded.

What is their messaging?

In its account, operators describe their activity as “without gloves or masks.” They write about themselves, stating they “serve the truth and present another side of the story, the story of the Jews in Israel and the world. Because we refuse to escape from narrow minds, we reject using our suffering and pain as weapons. We refuse another Holocaust in our name. We believe in rejecting violence, genocide, and corruption because we reject the cycle of bloodshed imposed on us for decades. Because we aspire to a future where we are all safe and equal. We believe in security, prosperity, heritage, and our culture, and we want the world to hear us and not reject us. Dofek 2024 – the voice of the Jewish community.”

Attempts by the site operators to conceal and obfuscate have not been successful. Fake Reporter researchers revealed that Dofek TV’s website remains registered through GoDaddy and uses a simple WordPress platform. One of the WordPress User page names is Fadel, which is not an Israeli name. The site is linked to a temporary site with internal referrals designed to blur the operators’ tracks.

Some articles on the site are inaccessible, but their titles reflect an anti-Israeli stance. For instance, “How long can the occupation sustain the human losses?” and “Ideology and flood to Al Aqsa” (Hamas calls its October 7 attack against Israel “Al Aqsa Flood”). Many referrals to articles on the site show graphic stories that support a pro-Palestinian narrative.

The Facebook page of Dofek TV suggests that at least two operators are located in Lebanon. “There is no certainty this is their operating base,” says Fake Reporter, but they clarify that “it is unlikely they are Israelis who wrote about themselves living in Lebanon.”

Among the errors and language distortions in Dofek TV’s content, publications concerning Israelis kidnapped by Hamas appear as “prisoners.” Additionally, captions in the graphics with corrupted Hebrew and errors include: “Israelis” and “Think Netanyahu needs to resign now.”

The content uploaded on Dofek TV features significant errors regarding Israeli politics. For instance, a publication about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s directive – to Communications Minister Shlomo Kari to close the offices of Qatari network Al Jazeera – displays a picture of former communications minister Yoaz Hendel.

The site also sees heightened engagement with extreme and divisive content. On its X page, operators ponder: “Will [Itamar] Ben Gvir manage to recruit ultra-Orthodox youth into the police and Border Police?” Other entries include: “66,000 ultra-Orthodox received draft exemptions in 2023!” and “Are you for or against drafting ultra-Orthodox youth into the army?” Also, “Netanyahu broke the unbreakable covenant” is noted alongside computer-generated narration in a video: “How did Netanyahu turn Israel from a strategic ally of the US into a burden on Washington?” and “Israel is losing global support due to the stubbornness of Netanyahu and the extremists.”

The aggressive promotion of divisive content on social networks in Israel has led to significant engagement from Israeli netizens.

For example, a post about the designated appointment of police chief Avshalom Peled, alongside the quote “a puppet of Ben Gvir,” generated about 200 comments from internet “citizens” both supporting and opposing the appointment. Other publications about drafting the ultra-Orthodox have sparked numerous comments from Israeli netizens.

“The fact that foreign influence networks operate here without disturbance and reach tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of Israelis, has become unbearable,” Achiya Schatz, CEO of Fake Reporter, said, adding that “The fact that divisive content, written by hostile elements abroad, appears on our Twitter and Facebook due to funded ads is doubly severe. The state can and must do much more to combat this dangerous phenomenon.

“Over the past three years, we at Fake Reporter have exposed more than 50 foreign influence operations,” Schatz said. “We consistently pass all information to official bodies to address those attempting to sow chaos and deepen hatred and polarization among us. But as long as the State of Israel does not demand social networks take action, including regulating relations between the state and networks, the citizens and national security of Israel will remain an easy and convenient target for our enemies.”

The Justice Ministry stated, “Without referring to a specific influence network, generally, the responsibility for identifying, detecting, and analyzing foreign intervention networks falls to the security agencies. As information on foreign intervention networks is relayed, it is quickly and urgently examined, and prompt action is taken against the online platforms. The activity in this area generally yields very successful results. The decision to publicize this information is left to the security agencies tasked with overseeing our security interests, often requiring confidentiality.”

A response from the Israel Police and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) had not responded to queries by press time.