As the Israeli Election Approaches, the Campaign Gets Nasty
JERUSALEM: Israeli elections are just days away, and campaigns have gone into overdrive with poor-taste jibes and harsh accusations against politicians that often cross red lines.
A lot of AI-made pictures are being shared on social media right now, which helps politicians and activists try to make their opponents look weak, untrustworthy, or bad for the country. They do this by playing on fears and stereotypes to change people’s minds.
The electioneering has at times become personal, with the mourning of some candidates who lost loved ones in the hostilities following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 onslaught even pulled into the campaign.
Before Tuesday’s vote, polls show that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc and Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc, his main center-right opponent, are tied.
Eisenkot wished Netanyahu a happy 77th birthday on X on Wednesday. The video featured several AI-generated characters, including one portraying a Hamas member speaking from a tunnel.
What do we want from the person who has looked out for us for 20 years? The militant adds, suggesting that the prime minister has intentionally aided the Islamist movement to remain in power in Gaza, allegations which Netanyahu has vehemently denied.
Shortly later, an AI-generated image of Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, appears and tells Netanyahu One more round without victory, and I’ll give you a bomb as a gift. Netanyahu has also been generous with weaponizing AI-generated material.
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