Day: February 26, 2026

#FBI  #CIA  #Trump
The U.S.  #Elections 2016 and 2024: the  #Israeli  #Mossad and other parties interference: assessments, significance, analysis, prevention – Google Search  google.com/search?q=The+U.S.…

Foreign interference in U.S. elections, particularly in 2016 and 2024, has moved beyond traditional espionage into complex, multi-actor information operations designed to polarize the electorate and influence policy. While Russian, Iranian, and Chinese actions have been extensively documented by the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), allegations of interference have also extended to Israeli intelligence (Mossad) and associated private entities, particularly regarding efforts to influence U.S. policy toward the Middle East
2016 Election: Allegations and Analysis
Russia: The U.S. Intelligence Community concluded that Russia launched an extensive, multifaceted campaign to damage Hillary Clinton and boost Donald Trump, involving hacking the DNC and spreading disinformation.

Israel (Mossad): Evidence suggests that in 2016, a covert Israeli operation, potentially under the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, offered intelligence to the Trump campaign against Hillary Clinton.
Collusion & Intelligence Sharing: Reports indicate that Israeli intelligence was eavesdropping on Russian and WikiLeaks communications, providing information to the Trump campaign, including data related to the Iran nuclear deal, which Netanyahu sought to cancel.

Significance: While the Mueller report focused on Russia, undisclosed FBI warrants pointed to an Israeli agent communicating with Trump advisors, aiming to prevent a Trump defeat and influence policy on Jerusalem and Iran. [2, 6, 7, 8]
2024 Election: Evolving Threats

Main Actors: The 2024 election has seen high-volume interference from Russia (the most active threat), China, and Iran, focused on undermining confidence in democratic institutions.

Israeli Influence Campaigns: Reports indicate an ongoing, covert $2 million campaign paid for by the Israeli government, using social media bots to target U.S. lawmakers to sustain military support, often targeting Black Democrats.
Tactics:
AI-Generated Content: Russia and other actors are using AI to create fake news sites and deepfakes to sow disinformation.

Influence Operations: Iran has targeted campaigns with cyber-enabled phishing, while China (“Spamouflage”) has posted content criticizing the U.S. administration.
Perception Hacking: Adversaries aim to make Americans doubt the security of their own voting systems. [1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]
Assessments and Analysis

Strategic Objective: The goal for foreign actors is to create social division, reduce trust in U.S. democracy, and push U.S. policy toward their interests, particularly regarding NATO and Middle Eastern affairs.

Impact vs. Influence: While the IC maintains that it is difficult for foreign actors to alter actual vote counts, the impact of their influence operations—shaping voter perception through social media—is significant.
Differential Treatment: Critics highlight a discrepancy in the U.S. response to interference, where Russian meddling triggers widespread investigations, while Israeli interference, involving similar methods, receives far less public or legal scrutiny. [12, 14, 15, 16, 17]
Prevention and Security Measures

Paper Ballots: Increased use of paper ballots, now used for all but 1.4% of votes (down from 25% in 2016), provides a secure, auditable backup.

Proactive Disruption: U.S. agencies (FBI, Treasury) are engaging in “real-time” neutralization, such as sanctions against Iranian and Russian entities attempting to steal information and create fake, divisive content.
Intelligence Sharing: The creation of specialized centers, such as the Foreign Malign Influence Center, helps coordinate the response to electoral disinformation.
Transparency: The U.S. government is increasingly declassifying information about foreign threats to warn the public and mitigate the impact of disinformation campaigns. [4, 9, 12, 15, 18]
AI responses may include mistakes.

[1]  thesoufancenter.org/intelbri…

[2]  youtube.com/watch?v=mWgqoUx3…
[3]  brookings.edu/articles/forei…
[4]  atlanticcouncil.org/content-…
[5]  jacobin.com/2024/03/israel-m…
[6]  thenation.com/article/world/…
[7]  youtube.com/watch?v=0VLQuJFM…
[8]  youtube.com/watch?v=mWgqoUx3…
[9]  brennancenter.org/our-work/a…
[10]  2021-2025.state.gov/briefing…
[11]  home.treasury.gov/news/press…
[12]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreig…
[13]  brennancenter.org/our-work/a…
[14]  responsiblestatecraft.org/is…
[15]  2021-2025.state.gov/briefing…
[16]  homelandsecuritynewswire.com…
[17]  responsiblestatecraft.org/is…
[18]  ir.usembassy.gov/sanctions-i…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Feb 26, 2026