May 8, 2024 at 06:39PM
Iran has been conducting a yearslong influence operation in Israel, with three distinct phases targeting societal and political divisions. Recorded Future’s Insikt Group identified the operation, called “Emerald Divide,” as likely state-backed and confirmed its use of AI and social media impersonation. The operation’s focused, targeted approach has proven effective, signaling a need for increased awareness and collaboration to counter such influence campaigns.
Based on the meeting notes, it appears that Iran has been conducting a yearslong influence operation in Israel to foster social, cultural, and political unrest. The operation has progressed through three distinct phases, which targeted various communities and political discourses within Israel. The latest phase is focused on Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
Recorded Future’s Insikt Group has identified the operation as being conducted by a likely Iranian state-backed advanced persistent threat (APT) called “Emerald Divide” or “Storm-1364.” This group has utilized generative AI and social media to impersonate figures such as rabbis and has also created fake social media accounts to manipulate and influence public opinion.
Despite not having a large number of online accounts, “Emerald Divide” has been able to effectively influence public opinion and behavior in Israel. The group’s more focused approach has yielded tangible results, as evidenced by the impact on public actions such as displaying posters in public squares.
The meeting notes also highlight the challenges in combating such influence operations and suggest increasing awareness and collaboration between governments and private companies as potential strategies for addressing this issue.
In summary, the “Emerald Divide” operation represents Iran’s effort to exploit existing divisions to create unrest in Israel through the use of social media manipulation and other tactics. The success of this operation demonstrates the need for enhanced collaboration and vigilance in addressing such influence campaigns.