Exposure: Likud's unprecedented influence operation - and the propaganda in Arabic

Moshe Klughaft reveals Likud's 'Arvit' operation: signs in Arabic, text messages and voice calls in the name of Arab parties, aimed at stirring apathetic Likud voters. According to party data, the operation yielded at least two seats. Later, an analysis of the new political blocs after the elections.

Moshe Klughaft reveals in his column in Israel Hayom the Likud's 'Arvit' operation, an unprecedented influence campaign designed to stir apathetic Likud voters. As part of the operation, Likud hung hundreds of signs in Arabic in the final days of the election campaign, mainly in the periphery, which appeared to support the so-called Eisenkot coalition. The signs included a disclaimer from Likud, but only in Arabic, so most of the public did not notice it. The goal was to ignite the field among right-wing voters and make them think that the establishment of a minority government in Arabic was a done deal. In addition, Likud sent text messages and voice calls in Arabic in the name of the Arab parties, and even hired Arabic speakers who physically asked to vote for the Joint List. According to party data, the operation yielded at least two seats. Later in the column, Klughaft analyzes the composition of the new political blocs formed after the elections: a bloc of unity versus a bloc of repeat elections, and details the interests of each major player – Netanyahu, Eisenkot, Lieberman, Golan, Smotrich, Ben Gvir, the Haredim, and Bennett.