Experts Warn of Propaganda and Disinformation in Digital Discourse on Palestine

Israeli Propaganda Campaigns Under Scrutiny as Digital Rights Experts Sound Alarm

A coalition of researchers, activists, and digital rights experts has raised serious concerns about coordinated propaganda efforts shaping global narratives on Palestine. The warnings came during a recent webinar hosted by The Global Alliance for Palestine, where speakers detailed sophisticated digital messaging strategies allegedly backed by Israeli state agencies.

The April 7 event, titled “Countering Israel’s 2026 Hasbara Industry,” examined how Israel’s national public diplomacy directorate—known by its Hebrew name Hasbara—oversees what participants described as systematic propaganda campaigns. The directorate has recently faced legal challenges from companies and contractors who provided services during the early months of the Gaza conflict.

According to presenters, Israel has employed numerous tactics to influence public opinion since October 2023, including secret PR campaigns and corporate firms managing paid influencer networks under a project code-named the “Esther Project.” Both the foreign ministry and diaspora ministry have reportedly allocated substantial resources to distribute messaging that denies allegations of war crimes and genocide.

Anas Ambri of The New Arab Investigative Unit presented research on online advertising campaigns, highlighting what he characterized as limited transparency around government-linked promotions. His findings suggested that targeted ads and covert campaigns are being deployed across digital platforms to shape international narratives about the conflict.

“The lack of disclosure requirements creates a situation where influence campaigns can operate with minimal scrutiny,” Ambri noted during his presentation.

Tariq Kenney-Shawa of Al-Shabaka emphasized how open-source intelligence has become crucial in documenting events and countering disinformation. According to Shawa, these methods have helped uncover mass graves in Gaza and expose coordinated disinformation campaigns on social media platforms.

Hala Hanina, a Gaza-born political activist and doctoral researcher based in the United Kingdom, analyzed media coverage patterns throughout the conflict. She outlined specific disinformation techniques allegedly employed by Israeli authorities, including denial of attacks, shifting blame to other parties, and framing narratives in ways that minimize civilian impact.

“These strategies are designed to create confusion and undermine calls for accountability,” Hanina explained, noting how such messaging effectively spreads across both traditional and digital media channels.

The discussion also addressed the growing role of artificial intelligence in information warfare. Panelist Lujane detailed how content ecosystems can influence AI-generated outputs, potentially reinforcing pro-Israeli narratives across digital spaces. Her analysis highlighted how funding networks and strategic amplification methods determine which information reaches global audiences.

Digital rights advocate Nadim Nashif raised concerns about platform governance, citing documented instances where Palestinian content has been removed or restricted on major social media platforms. He suggested that algorithmic moderation and platform policies have contributed to unequal visibility for Palestinian perspectives.

Offering a more optimistic viewpoint, Miriyam Aouragh, a professor at the University of Westminster, noted that digital spaces have simultaneously enabled counter-narratives, with Palestinian voices gaining unprecedented reach in recent months. She pointed to growing dissent among technology workers and increased scrutiny of how major platforms handle content related to the conflict.

The webinar organizers emphasized their goal of equipping participants with analytical tools to understand how information is produced and circulated during conflicts. They stressed that improving media literacy and addressing systematic disinformation will become increasingly important as digital platforms continue to shape global perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

As content moderation policies and platform governance receive greater attention from regulators worldwide, the discussion highlighted how geopolitical conflicts increasingly play out in digital spaces—with significant implications for how international audiences understand complex humanitarian situations.