Iran, Turkey seeking regime change in Israel via foreign interference, Likud MK warns to 'Post'

Likud MK Amit Halevi has identified Iran and Turkey as the primary actors behind a strategic effort to sow internal division and effect "regime change" in Israel. In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Halevi, a member of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, issued a strong warning about sophisticated foreign intervention in Israel's domestic political processes.

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You can influence, And as long as it is an Israeli citizen, that is excellent and desirable. But when it involves a foreign country with foreign interests and a hostile state is behind the influence, it becomes fundamentally invalid.

Halevi acknowledged that Israel's use of paper ballots makes direct mechanical tampering with elections nearly impossible. However, he emphasized that foreign entities can still significantly influence election outcomes. "You can influence," Halevi stated, "And as long as it is an Israeli citizen, that is excellent and desirable. But when it involves a foreign country with foreign interests and a hostile state is behind the influence, it becomes fundamentally invalid."

The MK detailed alleged methods used by these hostile actors, including exploiting the digital sphere and financial leverage to manipulate the Israeli electorate. He claims these states deploy substantial budgets and capabilities to identify and exploit "weak links" and "influential links" within Israeli society. Halevi explained that intervention often occurs through social networks and funding that supports various actions by individuals across different sectors and regions.

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Intervention can be, of course, in the digital age, through various digital means on social networks. This is funding that leads to various actions by different people in different sectors and different regions... to eventually reach a result desired by the hostile state.

Halevi further alleged that these influence operations frequently mask themselves behind legitimate-looking organizations. He warned that "the system of the 'bad guys' exploits everything - any international humanitarian or civil camouflage network - to bring about harm to the State of Israel." He specifically pointed to funding and activities channeled through Israeli non-governmental organizations (NGOs) by foreign countries and the European Union as an ongoing concern, even outside of election periods.

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The system of the 'bad guys' exploits everything - any international humanitarian or civil camouflage network-to bring about harm to the State of Israel.