Doppelgänger (German for “double”) describes the campaign’s hallmark: fake
copies of well-known news sites, with a design, logo and layout meant to make
readers think they are reading an article from a legitimate media outlet.
In recent weeks, ClearSky identified renewed activity by the Russian influence
campaign in Israel. The campaign, known as “The Double” – Doppelgänger,
spreads false and misleading messages built on parts of real publications, while
impersonating well-known media outlets. The messages are spread on social
networks, mainly on X, through a network of fake accounts. The goal is not only to
spread one-off false information. The campaign aims to push, over time, messages
that serve Russian interests, weaken trust in the government and its institutions,
deepen divisions in Israeli society and pollute AI engines. Between May and October
2026, ClearSky’s analyst team documented at least 76 fake articles published on
walla[.]ist, a site impersonating the Walla news site. The campaign’s resurgence
since August 2026 may stem from a Russian intent to influence Israeli public opinion
ahead of the elections scheduled for October 27, as Russia has done in election
campaigns in other countries. This report sums up the infrastructure, scale,
messages and accounts we identified.
Read the full report: