AI-generated images fuel ugly campaign tactics as Israeli election approaches

As Israeli voters approach the polls, campaigns have intensified with increasingly offensive attacks against candidates. The surge in AI-generated images on social media has played a role in portraying opponents as weak, untrustworthy, and detrimental to the nation. Personal attacks have also emerged, with bereaved candidates' grief being exploited during the election season.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival Gadi Eisenkot are currently tied in the polls. Eisenkot recently posted a video on X wishing the 77-year-old Netanyahu a happy birthday, featuring AI-generated characters, including a Hamas member speaking from a tunnel. The video suggested theories about Netanyahu allegedly aiding the Islamist movement in Gaza. In response, an AI depiction of Iran's supreme leader displayed a message to Netanyahu, threatening to make him a bomb if he failed to achieve victory.

Netanyahu has also employed AI-generated content against Eisenkot, such as a video from July where Eisenkot was shown rejecting a hug from a young man wearing "Israel unity" on a T-shirt. The clip was widely criticized for allegedly depicting Eisenkot's deceased son, who died fighting in Gaza in 2023. Eisenkot's camp has utilized AI throughout the campaign to spread fear regarding a potential opposition coalition led by Arab-Israeli parties.

Billboards for Netanyahu's Likud party depict Arab-Israeli politicians under the slogan "The Right or Palestine." Eisenkot has faced racialized comments, including a senior commentator describing him as "a monkey." Meanwhile, Laly Derai, whose son was killed during the Hamas attack, is running for the far-right Amcha Israel party, which advocates for universal military conscription. Derai has endured a smear campaign, with posters suggesting she withdraw from the race due to perceived dangers to the country.

The election marks the first since the October 2023 Hamas attack. Many candidates have personal stories tied to that day or subsequent wars. Trauma and bereavement have not prevented them from facing personal attacks. For example, Derai has received calls at all hours, received disgusting comments on social media, and faced signs posted near her children's school buses.