Israel unprepared for Iranian election meddling on digital platforms, gov't probe finds

Israel remains unprepared to counter foreign influence campaigns on digital platforms, particularly from actors like Iran, nine years after the threat was first recognized. An outgoing state comptroller report found a lack of a national policy and a designated government body to coordinate responses, leaving the country vulnerable during its upcoming election year.

"The threat of foreign influence in the digital sphere is worrying," said State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman. "Hostile actors, including Iran, exploit social media covertly and systematically to deepen divisions, sow panic and engineer the Israeli public’s perception of reality." The comptroller's audit, conducted from July 2024 to January 2026, revealed that repeated efforts since 2017 to establish an interagency response have not resulted in a functioning national framework.

Various bodies, including the National Security Council, the National Cyber Directorate, and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), identified the danger. However, initiatives to coordinate their work were abandoned, a national policy was never approved, and responsibility for the issue remained unassigned. A 2023 national-security assessment with recommendations for monitoring and disrupting foreign influence campaigns was not presented to the cabinet. Furthermore, a proposed national action plan submitted by the Cyber Directorate to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in August 2024 had not been examined by the Prime Minister's Office as of mid-July 2025.

By August 2025, both the National Security Council and the Cyber Directorate had reduced their engagement with the issue. The Cyber Directorate decided to focus solely on influence stemming from cyberattacks. The report warned that these gaps provide only a partial understanding of foreign online activity. While the Shin Bet monitors suspected operations, technological and operational difficulties persist, and a pilot program to improve monitoring capabilities was still under examination before the Cyber Directorate ceased broader work on the issue. The report also noted the absence of a formal channel for civil society or the public to report suspected foreign influence.

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The threat of foreign influence in the digital sphere is worrying. Hostile actors, including Iran, exploit social media covertly and systematically to deepen divisions, sow panic and engineer the Israeli public’s perception of reality.