Russia Exploits U.S. Divisions Over Gaza Conflict: An Expansive Misinformation Campaign

[Social Media]

 

In a bid to deepen political divisions within the United States and tarnish Washington's global image, Russia has been leveraging America's contentious debate over Israel's offensive in Gaza. According to a recent report, Russia employs artificial intelligence, fake social media accounts, and an increase in state-sponsored propaganda to achieve these aims. The campaign represents Russia’s ongoing strategy to exploit existing rifts within the West and paint the U.S. as a primary instigator of the violence in Gaza.

 

Bret Schafer, who tracks Russian and other propaganda at the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy, notes that Russia sees this as an opportunity to undermine the West. He explains, “They have pivoted away from trying to message around their own war to focusing on this one.”

 

Russian state media outlets have played a significant role in disseminating disinformation. The state-run Sputnik, for example, published articles suggesting that U.S. law enforcement poses a threat to pro-Palestinian demonstrators, drawing parallels to the Kent State University shootings during the Vietnam War. Another article from Sputnik criticized U.S. lawmakers for allegedly cracking down on student protests against the violence in Gaza, questioning, “‘Land of the Free’? How US Lawmakers Restrict Students’ Right to Peaceful Protest: US lawmakers have once again demonstrated where their sympathies lie in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by cracking down on student protests against the bloodbath in the Gaza Strip.”

 

Since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, posts from Russian state media and pro-Russian commentators on Facebook have surged by 400%. These posts often propagate conspiracy theories, such as allegations that Ukrainian mercenaries are fighting alongside Israeli forces in Gaza or that Hamas is using NATO-supplied weapons intended for Ukraine. This dramatic increase highlights the scale and intensity of Russia’s disinformation campaign.

 

Russia's disinformation efforts are not confined to the United States. In November, France accused a Russian-linked network of bots of amplifying antisemitic content by circulating images of Stars of David graffiti on buildings in Paris. The French foreign ministry condemned these efforts, stating, “This new operation of Russian digital interference against France testifies to the persistence of an opportunistic and irresponsible strategy aimed at exploiting international crises to sow confusion and create tensions in the public debate in France and in Europe.”

 

A recurring theme in Russian information operations is to depict the U.S. as a failing democracy. U.S. intelligence officials, including Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, have highlighted Russia's efforts to degrade America’s global standing, undermine democratic institutions, and exploit societal divisions. Haines noted that Russia is employing advanced AI tools in these operations, making their disinformation campaigns increasingly sophisticated.

 

However, experts caution against overestimating the influence of Russian propaganda on the current debates over Israel’s actions in Gaza. Bret Schafer emphasizes that the protests and political divisions in the U.S. would likely exist regardless of Russian interference. He asserts, “I think it would be entirely inaccurate to say that the protests that are happening on college campuses, the divisiveness of the debate in Congress and among the public is a result of anything that Russians have done or could do. I think it would all be there regardless of whether there were Russian bots and Russian state media messaging.”

 

Emerson Brooking, a senior fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab of the Atlantic Council, also warns that reports on propaganda efforts by foreign actors over protest movements need to be treated with caution. He explains, “Allegations of foreign influence can often be used to delegitimize large and authentic democratic movements in the United States,” citing instances where critics of the Black Lives Matter protests employed similar tactics by referencing foreign adversaries’ information operations.

 

Russia’s bid to amplify divisions over Gaza also aims to attract more readers to other pro-Russian propaganda content on social media, with the goal of shaping attitudes on the war in Ukraine. This strategy highlights how Russia seeks to interlink different areas of conflict to bolster its broader geopolitical narratives.

 

Additionally, Russia is using fake online accounts and bots to target President Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats ahead of the U.S. election. This is part of an ongoing effort to reduce U.S. military aid to Ukraine and weaken NATO support. According to NBC News, these attacks on Biden are intended to undercut American support for Ukraine, further demonstrating Russia's strategic use of disinformation to achieve its geopolitical aims.

 

In Europe, Russia is also working to undermine support for Ukraine. Countries like France, Germany, and Poland have accused Russia of launching extensive propaganda campaigns to influence the outcome of the European parliamentary elections in June. This broad, multi-faceted approach underscores Russia’s commitment to exploiting international crises to further its own strategic interests.

 

Credit: NBC News 2024-06-05

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[novacova]

1 hour ago, Social Media said:

Russian state media outlets have played a significant role in disseminating disinformation.

 

1 hour ago, Social Media said:

Credit: NBC News 2024-06-05

Really now, the leading disseminators of disinformation reporting on disinformation.

[Tug]

The Russians along with their best asset one citizen and convicted felon I might add donald John trump 

[Irish star]

So many paid off Russian Agents in Congress , Traitors 

[Roo Island]

They are good at propaganda. Sad so many fall for it

[daveAustin]

Who cares! Why the F don't they grow up and enjoy their country and life? Russia, a sad state of affairs, is so stuck up its own arssse, and to what end? An utterly depressing place ruled by bent, ego-fuelled little despots and depressives. Move on, give the world a break FFS!