AI plays key role in Israeli election campaign
Parties are increasingly using synthetic images and sharp messages on social media in the run-up to the election.
Follow-up to: Israel votes next week: can Netanyahu continue to govern? Wednesday, 21 October 2026, 05:11
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The Israeli election campaign is being flooded with videos made using artificial intelligence and increasingly hard-line messages on social media. Israel goes to the polls on 27 October. The election commission is working with technology companies to protect the digital electoral environment.
The Associated Press reports that extreme political language and AI-enhanced messages are playing a growing role in the campaign. The contest is being fought, among others, between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot. Polls suggest the result is uncertain and that parties will have to form coalitions again after the election.
The AI videos can show politicians and political alliances in situations that have not actually happened. Such images can make opponents appear suspect or give voters the impression that a party will become dependent on a particular coalition partner.
The Israeli election commission is working with technology companies to protect the digital electoral environment. The commission says that platforms and search engines have a role to play in combating deception. The government also previously announced a special campaign against foreign influence and digitally manipulated material.
The use of AI in election advertising is not completely banned. A study by the Israeli parliament previously found that there is no total ban on the use of AI in election advertising. The Knesset has discussed transparency requirements for digitally created campaign material.
For Dutch readers, the development is relevant because the same combination of generative AI, social media and election campaigns is also playing out in Europe. Israel is also an early example of a campaign in which synthetic images are not merely being used as an experiment, but have become part of day-to-day political communication.
The presence of an AI label does not automatically make a video harmless. Its significance also depends on the speed at which images are disseminated, platforms’ willingness to remove material and the ability of voters and journalists to check its provenance. The sources confirm the growth in AI use, but not that every viral video is false.
Also show the region and a close-up
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Israel is holding elections on 27 October.
- AP and DW describe a strong presence of AI and social media in the campaign.
- The Israeli election commission is working with technology companies on digital electoral integrity.
- The precise provenance and truth status of individual videos cannot always be established.
Left
Arguments From this perspective, AI campaigns can widen power disparities because parties with more money and reach can spread convincing deception more quickly. Transparency, platform responsibility and the protection of minorities should therefore come first.
Values Equal political opportunities, inclusion, protection against manipulation and public accountability.
Consequences Stricter rules and mandatory labels could protect voters, but require oversight that is not applied selectively against particular political movements.
Centre
Arguments This perspective seeks a workable combination of innovation and electoral security. AI content should be recognisable and serious deception should be corrected quickly, but not every synthetic image should automatically be banned.
Values Reliable institutions, proportionality, freedom of expression and practical enforcement.
Consequences Clear rules and independent fact-checking can limit the damage without making legitimate political satire or campaigning impossible.
Right
Arguments This perspective warns that broad platform or government control could lead to censorship and favour established parties. According to this view, voters should be able to make their own critical judgements, while bans should be limited to demonstrable fraud or threats.
Values Freedom of expression, political competition, individual responsibility and a restrained government.
Consequences Fewer removals protect debate and opposition, but also leave more room for misleading images that spread faster than corrections.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
Reporting on the growing use of AI and the electoral context is supported by multiple independent sources. The article avoids claims that specific videos are false when this has not been independently established.
- confirmed Israel is holding elections on 27 October 2026. — AP mentions the election date in its current reporting. source
- confirmed Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot are among the main candidates. — AP describes the two as central figures in the campaign. source
- confirmed AI and social media play an important role in the Israeli campaign. — DW and AP describe the use of AI and digital platforms in the campaign. source
- confirmed The Israeli election commission is working with technology companies on digital electoral integrity. — This is stated in the publication of the Israeli election commission. source
- confirmed Israel has no total ban on AI in election advertising. — A parliamentary research document describes the absence of a comprehensive legal framework. source
Editor's note
The increase in AI use and concerns about deception have been described by AP, DW and Israeli institutions. The creators and factual status of individual videos cannot always be established.Sources
- A look at the major candidates in Israel’s election next week — Associated Press
- Israel goes to the polls in a campaign dominated by AI — Deutsche Welle
- Ahead of the 26th Knesset Elections: cooperation to safeguard election integrity — Government of Israel
- Election Shield campaign against foreign influence — Government of Israel
The story so far
- Wednesday, 21 October 2026, 05:11 Israel votes next week: can Netanyahu continue to govern?
- Wednesday, 21 October 2026, 21:26 AI plays key role in Israeli election campaign (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „israël verkiezingen”
- AD — „israël verkiezingen”
- de Volkskrant — „israël verkiezingen”