As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags on, the Kremlin has turned to a new tactic in its information warfare – leveraging the longstanding tensions between Israel and Hamas to distract from its own crimes and undermine American democracy.
According to intelligence reports, Russia has unleashed a coordinated campaign of overt and covert propaganda to amplify divisions within the US over the Israel-Hamas conflict. The goal is to exacerbate political tensions and tarnish America’s global standing.
“Russia is cynically exploiting the Israel-Gaza situation as a means to shift attention away from its brutal actions in Ukraine,” said a senior State Department official. “They are pouring gasoline on the fire of existing tensions to weaken the US and its allies.”
The evidence of Russia’s meddling is stark. In the weeks after Hamas launched attacks on Israel last October, posts on social media from Russian state media, pro-Kremlin commentators, and Russian diplomats related to the conflict skyrocketed by 400%.
Much of this content has focused on inflaming anti-Israel sentiment, particularly on American college campuses. Russian state outlets like Sputnik have extensively covered pro-Palestinian protests, suggesting the threat of police crackdowns and questioning the response from US lawmakers.
“Russia is working overtime to amplify any anti-Israel voices and make it seem like the US is not doing enough to support the Palestinian cause,” explained a senior intelligence analyst. “It’s a classic disinformation playbook – sow division, erode trust in institutions, and undermine America’s global leadership.”
Beyond social media, Russia has also leveraged its position at the United Nations to condemn Israel’s military actions in Gaza, with its representative questioning the Jewish state’s right to self-defense. This alignment with Israel’s enemies like Hamas is a calculated move to present Russia as a champion of the Palestinian people.
“Make no mistake, Russia’s goal is not to actually help the Palestinians. It’s to damage the United States and distract from its own atrocities in Ukraine,” the State Department official said.
As the war in Ukraine drags on, the Kremlin appears willing to exploit any global flashpoint to shift the narrative and deflect accountability. The Israel-Hamas conflict has become the latest battleground in Russia’s information warfare against the West.
Based on the search results provided, here are some of the key anti-Israel actions taken by Moscow in the US:
- Russia is using overt and covert propaganda tactics to amplify divisions in the US over the Israel-Hamas conflict, with the aim of exacerbating political tensions and tarnishing the US’s global image. [3]
- Russian state media like Sputnik have been actively covering and amplifying pro-Palestinian protests at American college campuses. They have suggested the threat of police violence against demonstrators and questioned how US lawmakers are responding. [3]
- Posts on social media from Russian state media, pro-Russian commentators, and Russian diplomats related to the Israel-Hamas conflict increased dramatically by 400% in the first seven weeks after Hamas’ attack on Israel. Some of these posts contain conspiracy theories involving Ukraine. [3]
- Russia has leveraged the Israel-Gaza conflict as a means to distract from its invasion of Ukraine and present itself as a champion of the Palestinians, in an effort to undermine Western institutions and discredit American democracy. [3]
- Russia has led UN condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, with its representative questioning Israel’s right to defend itself as an “occupier.” This is seen as aligning Russia with Israel’s enemies like Hamas. [4]
So in summary, the key anti-Israel actions by Moscow in the US appear to be a coordinated disinformation and propaganda campaign aimed at inflaming tensions around the Israel-Hamas conflict, amplifying anti-Israel sentiment, and using it to discredit the US and its democratic institutions. This is part of Russia’s broader information warfare strategy.
Citations:
[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/page/2/
[2] https://www.timesofisrael.com/foreign-ministry-summoned-russia-envoy-over-moscows-anti-israel-rhetoric-report/
[3] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/russia-trying-exploit-americas-divisions-war-gaza-rcna149759
[4] https://carnegieendowment.org/politika/91073
[5] https://apnews.com/article/russia-israel-hamas-putin-palestinians-mideast-efa2b7f3765aadbf6934839ea5fcd16b
Source: Midtown Tribune news