Exposé by #Baum_News

Yossi Baum tweeted the following:

Exposé by #Baum_News

• The right-wing woke up to discover that the left has taken control of “Community Notes” on Twitter.
• @YinonMagal publishes information about left-wing organizing to amplify posts on social networks.
• Previously, @arbelaue exposed left-wing groups focused on increasing exposure and likes.

Let’s examine how much money the New Israel Fund (NIF) has spent on online activity. Spoiler: up to $822,000, equivalent to nearly 3,000,000 NIS in 2024 alone.

Below is a breakdown of the organizations, some of which are focused on online discourse, while others include such activities. The following quotes are from the fund’s website (in Hebrew/English), shedding light on how deeply the fund invests in influencing social media discourse in a leftward direction. Read carefully, as it seems the language reveals only part of the picture, intentionally:

1. The Democratic Bloc – $251,150
   “The organization monitors online discourse and raises awareness about Israeli democracy.” Includes $78,000 for supporting individuals and organizations facing SLAPP lawsuits initiated by right-wing entities aimed at chilling free speech and public debate on topics of public interest by silencing journalists, activists, whistleblowers, and others, exhausting their resources, and deterring others from speaking out.
2. Fake Reporter (likely includes “Booster”) – $270,000
   “A research initiative to combat malicious online activity. It’s a reporting platform for public participation in identifying and addressing online threats. Using crowd power and engaged citizens, the platform changes the rules of the game for the public’s benefit. Since its inception in 2020, it has managed to dismantle malicious political and commercial influence networks attempting to shape Israeli public consciousness.”
   “Fake Reporter uses advanced digital monitoring methods to expose threats of violence, disinformation, and cyberattacks against civil society, including foreign intervention from Iran and incitement against protesters by far-right activists.”

   The amount includes $120,000 for “security support, consultation, and emergency response for NGOs and activists under threat of physical, digital, or other attacks, enhancing organizational resilience for the human rights NGO community.”

3. Legal Assistance for Activists – $33,850
   “Through the center, individuals whose freedom of expression has been harmed receive legal representation. The legal team also conducts proactive litigation, such as filing lawsuits in cases of doxxing or defamation, complaints to regulatory bodies (Registrar of Associations, Tax Authority, Ethics Committees, etc.), and public and media exposure of extreme statements” (quoted from the English site).
4. The HUB: Legal Professionals Forum – $10,000
   “A multi-pronged support system for civil society based on successful models developed by environmental activists under threat in South Africa and Brazil. The HUB provides comprehensive support to organizations and activists facing delegitimization by the government and attempts to curb their activities (e.g., SLAPP lawsuits or new laws imposing excessive taxes on foreign government-funded donations).”
5. Human Rights Defenders Fund – $87,500
   “The fund provides legal assistance to human rights defenders to ensure they can engage in their work and activism without fear of attacks or harassment from authorities. The fund has built a defense infrastructure for civil society, offering immediate, professional legal support for human rights defenders and organizations whose freedom of expression and protest is under attack.”

   It should be noted that the fund also received support from Soros.

6. Kalmar PR Services – $40,000
   “To support the HUB in both defensive and offensive communications.” Kalmar’s website mentions activities in digital strategy, social media management, and sponsored promotions.
7. Cyber Rights Law Clinic – $30,000
   “Operating within the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, run by law students under the guidance of attorneys, the clinic offers legal assistance to those whose right to free expression in cyberspace has been unlawfully violated, examining the implications of interference by public authorities or private entities in public discourse on the internet.”

   Conversely, the clinic offers legal assistance to those whose rights (e.g., privacy or reputation) have been violated by illegitimate online publications.

   (The above amount is from 2021 and 2022. It is possible this amount is now included under other organizations. The clinic is listed officially on the fund’s website as a supported entity.)

8. The Civilian Headquarters – $60,000
   “A coalition of ‘civil society’ organizations specializing in focused campaigns based on research and bringing issues to the public and media agenda, where each organization contributes its skills, expertise, and relative advantage to the partnership—whether in digital capabilities, dissemination, communication, research, lobbying, or fieldwork.”
9. Psychological Support (via Shatil) – $40,000
   “Provides resilience training for organizations whose employees are in roles involving personal security risks and/or exposure to disturbing content as part of their work.”

It is worth noting that after the summer of 2014 and Operation Protective Edge, which intensified anti-Arab discourse on social networks, the fund published a 76-page booklet for peace and human rights organization managers titled ‘Influence on Facebook During Escalation and Routine,’ providing tips and detailed guidance for social media management. The cover page is attached.

Bottom Line:

The New Israel Fund not only ensures active expression on social media but also takes care of all the surrounding infrastructure in meticulous detail. Thus, questions arise:

• Are these entities or individuals associated with them involved in the activities mentioned at the top of the post?
• Is the left’s frequent filing of defamation—if not SLAPP—lawsuits against the right linked to these substantial investments?
• Does the left’s near immunity to defamation suits from the right have any connection here?

For your judgment.

Sources in the response to the post.

**Translated from Hebrew; Relative documents viewable in English in original post