When lies move faster than truth: Israel’s democracy faces a digital threat – opinion

As Israel enters election season, digital deception poses a significant threat to its democracy by undermining citizens' ability to make informed choices. The article highlights how technology enables the rapid spread of fabricated content, such as fake images, audio, and videos, which can manipulate public opinion and damage individual reputations. This threat is exacerbated by Israel's divided society and weakened trust in institutions, with dangers stemming from both foreign interference and internal political actors who may prioritize loyalty over factual accuracy.

The threat comes from abroad and from within.

To combat this, the author proposes an independent professional body to identify digital manipulation methods and a specialized court for information and digital offenses. This court would aim to provide rapid remedies within 24-72 hours for clear cases of fabricated content, such as deepfakes or forged documents, without adjudicating political opinions. The goal is to protect democratic processes from deliberate manipulation and offer individuals timely defense against digital attacks.