Three years later: October 7 conspiracy theories rack up millions of views

Three years after the October 7 massacre, conspiracy theories continue to rack up millions of views on social media. The organization Fake Reporter warns that the lack of official answers to questions helps spread conspiratorial versions that are used for political purposes and deepen the rift in Israeli society.

Three years after the October 7, 2023 massacre, conspiracy theories related to the event continue to rack up millions of views on social media. The organization Fake Reporter, which studied these publications, warns that the lack of official answers to questions helps spread conspiratorial versions that are used for political purposes and deepen the rift in Israeli society. The first conspiracy theories appeared on the day of the attack itself. Fake Reporter experts tracked publications from October 7, 2023 to the present and identified several main narratives: betrayal from within, denial of the massacre or its scale, and alleged cooperation of security forces with Hamas to overthrow the government. The main platforms for dissemination were X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Telegram. The most prominent theory was that of "betrayal from within" Israel. Over time, those accused changed: first the army and pilots, then the chief of staff, the head of Shin Bet, and the head of Mossad, then protest movement activists, and ahead of the elections, politicians, particularly Yair Golan. Videos on this topic garnered tens of millions of views and millions of likes. Outside Israel, denial of the massacre and attempts to downplay its scale spread, including claims that Israel allegedly activated the "Hannibal Protocol." Researchers note that conspiratorial versions fill the gap left by the absence of a state investigation and pose a serious threat to the electoral process.