October Surprise 2016 - octobersurprise2016.orgIsrael’s interference in the Elections worldwide
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Reports of global election interference involving entities based in Israel center primarily on private cyber-intelligence and disinformation firms rather than documented operations by the Israeli state itself. International investigations and government watchdogs have exposed several private Israeli companies selling digital manipulation and psychological warfare services to foreign clients. [1, 2, 3]
The BlackCore Investigations (2026)
In June 2026, France’s disinformation detection service, Viginum, published a comprehensive report implicating the Israeli cyber-influence firm BlackCore in several recent international elections. [4]France: The firm orchestrated an online smear campaign targeting three mayoral candidates from the left-wing, pro-Palestine La France Insoumise (LFI) party. The campaign utilized deceptive websites and AI-generated social media bots to spread false criminal allegations. [4, 5, 6]
Scotland: BlackCore deployed coordinated networks of fake proxy accounts to target First Minister John Swinney, the Scottish National Party (SNP), and the Scottish government. The operation intensified after Swinney made public remarks critical of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. [7, 8, 9]
United States: The firm was flagged for conducting digital interference operations during the 2025 municipal and mayoral elections in New York City. [5, 7]
Africa: Viginum identified active, parallel interference pipelines run by BlackCore targeting electoral processes in Angola and Togo. [2, 4]The French government formally requested explanations and investigative assistance from Israel regarding BlackCore’s actions. In response, the Israeli embassy in Paris stated that the Israeli state had “no intention of interfering” in foreign elections and would launch its own review once it received France’s data. Before scrubbing its digital footprint, BlackCore publicly marketed itself as an elite “information warfare” firm built to “shape narratives” for political campaigns. [2, 5, 9, 10]
The “Team Jorge” Exposé (2023)
A major international media investigation led by the journalism consortium Forbidden Stories exposed a covert unit of Israeli contractors dubbed “Team Jorge,” run by Tal Hanan, a former Israeli special forces operative. [3]Scale of Operations: Hanan boasted to undercover reporters that his team had covertly manipulated more than 30 presidential and legislative-level elections worldwide, claiming a 70% success rate. [3, 11]
Methods: The group utilized a proprietary software platform called Advanced Impact Media Solutions (AIMS). This tool controlled an army of over 30,000 highly realistic fake profiles across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn, complete with long-standing digital backstories and linked credit cards. [3, 11, 12]
Targeted Regions: Documented interventions included hacking senior political figures and running bot-driven automated disinformation campaigns across Africa (Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya), Europe, and Central/South America. The investigation revealed they had also historically collaborated with the defunct political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. [3, 11]Other Private Corporate Actors
Beyond BlackCore and Team Jorge, other private Israeli corporate intelligence firms have faced scrutiny for intersecting with foreign political landscapes: [3]Black Cube: This private intelligence agency, composed largely of former Israeli security and intelligence veterans, has repeatedly faced accusations of conducting corporate and political espionage. In Eastern Europe, investigations linked the firm’s private operations to efforts aimed at discrediting specific political figures ahead of national elections. [13]
Psy-Group: This now-defunct private Israeli psychological warfare company was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice during the late 2010s regarding proposals it drafted to use social media manipulation to influence U.S. political campaigns.While these private entities frequently employ veterans of Israel’s military intelligence and cyber divisions, international investigative bodies emphasize that they operate as private mercenaries for hire. Their motivations are primarily commercial, serving whatever foreign political candidate, billionaire, or intelligence service pays their fees, rather than advancing a unified state agenda. [3, 7, 10]
[1] theguardian.com
[2] silicon.co.uk
[3] facebook.com
[4] reuters.com
[5] middleeasteye.net
[6] politico.eu
[7] theguardian.com
[8] bbc.com
[9] english.aawsat.com
[10] timesofisrael.com
[11] facebook.com
[12] facebook.com
[13] europeancorrespondent.com— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jun 14, 2026
Israel’s interference in the Elections worldwide
share.google/aimode/ZquLnkyj…
Reports of global election interference involving entities based in Israel center primarily on private cyber-intelligence and disinformation firms rather than documented operations by the Israeli state itself. International investigations and government watchdogs have exposed several private Israeli companies selling digital manipulation and psychological warfare services to foreign clients. [1, 2, 3]
The BlackCore Investigations (2026)
In June 2026, France’s disinformation detection service, Viginum, published a comprehensive report implicating the Israeli cyber-influence firm BlackCore in several recent international elections. [4]France: The firm orchestrated an online smear campaign targeting three mayoral candidates from the left-wing, pro-Palestine La France Insoumise (LFI) party. The campaign utilized deceptive websites and AI-generated social media bots to spread false criminal allegations. [4, 5, 6]
Scotland: BlackCore deployed coordinated networks of fake proxy accounts to target First Minister John Swinney, the Scottish National Party (SNP), and the Scottish government. The operation intensified after Swinney made public remarks critical of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. [7, 8, 9]
United States: The firm was flagged for conducting digital interference operations during the 2025 municipal and mayoral elections in New York City. [5, 7]
Africa: Viginum identified active, parallel interference pipelines run by BlackCore targeting electoral processes in Angola and Togo. [2, 4]The French government formally requested explanations and investigative assistance from Israel regarding BlackCore’s actions. In response, the Israeli embassy in Paris stated that the Israeli state had “no intention of interfering” in foreign elections and would launch its own review once it received France’s data. Before scrubbing its digital footprint, BlackCore publicly marketed itself as an elite “information warfare” firm built to “shape narratives” for political campaigns. [2, 5, 9, 10]
The “Team Jorge” Exposé (2023)
A major international media investigation led by the journalism consortium Forbidden Stories exposed a covert unit of Israeli contractors dubbed “Team Jorge,” run by Tal Hanan, a former Israeli special forces operative. [3]Scale of Operations: Hanan boasted to undercover reporters that his team had covertly manipulated more than 30 presidential and legislative-level elections worldwide, claiming a 70% success rate. [3, 11]
Methods: The group utilized a proprietary software platform called Advanced Impact Media Solutions (AIMS). This tool controlled an army of over 30,000 highly realistic fake profiles across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn, complete with long-standing digital backstories and linked credit cards. [3, 11, 12]
Targeted Regions: Documented interventions included hacking senior political figures and running bot-driven automated disinformation campaigns across Africa (Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya), Europe, and Central/South America. The investigation revealed they had also historically collaborated with the defunct political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. [3, 11]Other Private Corporate Actors
Beyond BlackCore and Team Jorge, other private Israeli corporate intelligence firms have faced scrutiny for intersecting with foreign political landscapes: [3]Black Cube: This private intelligence agency, composed largely of former Israeli security and intelligence veterans, has repeatedly faced accusations of conducting corporate and political espionage. In Eastern Europe, investigations linked the firm’s private operations to efforts aimed at discrediting specific political figures ahead of national elections. [13]
Psy-Group: This now-defunct private Israeli psychological warfare company was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice during the late 2010s regarding proposals it drafted to use social media manipulation to influence U.S. political campaigns.While these private entities frequently employ veterans of Israel’s military intelligence and cyber divisions, international investigative bodies emphasize that they operate as private mercenaries for hire. Their motivations are primarily commercial, serving whatever foreign political candidate, billionaire, or intelligence service pays their fees, rather than advancing a unified state agenda. [3, 7, 10]
[1] theguardian.com
[2] silicon.co.uk
[3] facebook.com
[4] reuters.com
[5] middleeasteye.net
[6] politico.eu
[7] theguardian.com
[8] bbc.com
[9] english.aawsat.com
[10] timesofisrael.com
[11] facebook.com
[12] facebook.com
[13] europeancorrespondent.com— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jun 14, 2026
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