Anti-Muslim influence campaign targeting UK traced back to Israel

A major anti-Muslim propaganda campaign targeting Britain has been traced back to Israel, according to a new investigation. The campaign, which peaked before the 2024 UK general election and the subsequent anti-Muslim riots, involved large numbers of paid advertisements warning of an Islamic takeover of Britain, masterminded by Qatar.

The ads were viewed over 154 million times between 2024 and 2026, making it one of the biggest covert influence operations targeting the UK. The campaign continued through 2025 and 2026 on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, featuring adverts, AI-generated images, and mini-documentary series that claimed an invasion was imminent, Qatar was Islamising England, and Bradford had been occupied by Muslim immigrants.

The investigation traced editing work for the campaign back to an Israeli internet address, with Hebrew names, nicknames, and words found in folders, drive labels, and editing projects. The campaign also targeted other European countries and the US, promoting anti-Muslim, anti-migrant, and anti-Qatar views. Israeli politicians have previously allied with far-right British figures and spread anti-Muslim narratives about Britain.