Moscow Rejects Netanyahu Claims Regarding Online Antisemitic Bot Networks
The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed shock over claims by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Moscow runs antisemitic bot networks, calling the allegations absurd.
Moscow issued a sharp rebuke against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, expressing profound shock over accusations that Russia is involved in an online antisemitic campaign targeting Israel. Russian Foreign Ministry officials stated that such allegations are entirely unfounded and particularly absurd given the historical ties between the two nations.
Moscow Rejects Accusations
The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that due to the leadership's consistent policy of strengthening peace and interethnic harmony, antisemitism is virtually nonexistent within the country. Furthermore, Moscow criticized Netanyahu for choosing public media leaks rather than engaging in professional dialogue between cybersecurity experts ahead of the upcoming Israeli Knesset elections scheduled for October 27, 2026.
Netanyahu Security Doctrine
Earlier in the week, during the presentation of his comprehensive security doctrine, Netanyahu claimed that Russia operates bot networks spreading severe antisemitic content against Israel. He noted that he has directly raised these concerns with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Netanyahu pointed to recent Ukrainian cyberattacks on major Russian data centers, including tech giant Yandex, which disrupted internet access and coincided with a notable decline in coordinated global bot activity.
"We speak as necessary. But again, Russia has its interests and we have the interests of the State of Israel, and they do not always overlap," Netanyahu stated regarding bilateral relations.
According to the Prime Minister's assessment, following the disruptions to Russian data infrastructure, online discourse featuring anti-Israel sentiment and "Free Palestine" rhetoric dropped by 60 percent globally. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also commented on the digital shift, noting a measurable decrease in online polarization and hate speech across multiple social media platforms.
