The internal security body of Israel, known as the Shin Bet, has turned down pleas made by key legal and law enforcement figures to monitor domestic botnets and online influence efforts before the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 27.
The decision, which was reportedly made by the head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, has generated substantial tension within the Israeli security establishment. Officials at the Ministry of Justice and the Israel Police have asked the agency to use its technology to keep an eye on influence efforts conducted through fake social media accounts. But according to Shin Bet sources, Zini considers domestic influence efforts to be beyond the scope of his agency’s statutory remit.
According to agency policy, the Shin Bet limits its counter-influence operations strictly to hostile external adversaries, such as foreign networks operated by Iran or Russia. Senior law enforcement figures criticized the decision, accusing agency leadership of shirking core national security obligations. Critics contend that under Israeli law, the security service bears a clear responsibility to counter illicit activities that threaten democratic institutions and state stability, regardless of whether the perpetrators are local or foreign.
The stance leaves the Israel Police to handle domestic cyber manipulation independently, despite lacking the advanced technological infrastructure required to track complex computational propaganda networks. Unable to counter sophisticated bot operations internally, police officials have been forced to seek assistance from private cybersecurity companies.
The jurisdictional dispute highlights growing concern over synthetic accounts targeting Israeli voters on social media platforms. Independent research cited by local media suggests that up to half of politically active accounts on Israeli social platforms are automated bots. These networks are frequently deployed to amplify partisan messaging, manipulate public sentiment, and promote key political figures across both government and opposition factions.
Reports from international tech researchers further reveal that private Israeli firms have increasingly used open-source artificial intelligence models to simulate and conduct political influence operations online. With the Shin Bet declining oversight and law enforcement constrained by technical limitations, illicit domestic digital manipulation remains largely unpoliced as the country approaches election day.
