What's happened
Israeli campaigns are intensifying online, using AI-generated videos and bots to sway voters ahead of a tightly contested election. Both sides deploy deepfake content and targeted apps to mobilise supporters and frame opponents, raising fears over privacy, misinformation and the role of Arab parties as potential backers.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
- AI is intensifying political messaging, narrowing the information gap between resource-rich camps and smaller parties.
- Deepfakes and bots risk eroding trust in political content and could inflame sectarian tensions, especially around Arab-Israeli parties.
- Voter-turnout apps raise privacy concerns and could shift on-the-ground campaigning from traditional ground teams to data-driven outreach.
- The race is increasingly about turnout as much as policy, with fears that AI-fuelled campaigns may distort perceptions of candidates’ positions.
How we got here
The current Israeli election follows the Hamas-led war in Gaza beginning in October 2023. Parties are leveraging digital tools—AI-generated imagery, bots, and targeted turnout apps—to influence voter behavior. The right-wing bloc led by Netanyahu amplifies anti-opposition messaging, while Arab parties seek to maximize reach amid a crowded field. Election rules and privacy considerations have shaped campaign tactics.
Our analysis
- Al Jazeera reports on deepfake use and targeted apps by Netanyahu and rivals, including Eurovision-like videos and the Victory 26 app. - Arab News highlights AI-generated content framing Netanyahu’s opponents and the emotional toll of the Gaza war on campaigns. - BBC Business outlines the broader context of the election, with Netanyahu, Eisenkot and other leaders vying for Knesset seats and coalition formation.
Go deeper
- How are voters responding to AI-generated content?
- What privacy safeguards exist for turnout-tracking apps?
- Could Arab-Israeli parties still be pivotal kingmakers despite mainstream positions?
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Benjamin Netanyahu - Prime Minister of Israel
Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, and previously from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also the Chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement.
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Hamas
Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
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Israel - Country in the Middle East
Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 kilometers and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km border.
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Likud - Political party
Likud, officially the Likud – National Liberal Movement, is a centre-right to right-wing political party in Israel. A secular party, it was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon in an alliance with several right-wing parties.
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West Bank
The West Bank is a landlocked territory near the Mediterranean coast of Western Asia, bordered by Jordan to the east and by Israel to the south, west and north. The West Bank also contains a significant section of the western Dead Sea shore.
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The Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral national legislature of Israel. As the legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister, approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government.
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Mansour Abbas - Politician
Mansour Abbas is an Israeli dentist and politician. He is currently the leader of the United Arab List and a Knesset Member on the party's behalf.
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Naftali Bennett - Former Minister of the Economy of Israel
Naftali Bennett is an Israeli politician who led the Jewish Home party between 2012 and 2018 and currently serves as an MK for New Right.