Israeli Online Sabotage Campaign Linked to Ellison Family and Benny Gantz

Leaked Emails Reveal Israeli Influence Operations

• 💡 Jack Poulson has uncovered massive leaks of emails from high-level Israeli officials, including Benny Gantz, detailing significant information related to Israeli influence campaigns.
• 🎯 The leaks, originally released by the activist group Handela, are believed to be linked to Iranian intelligence and are transparently pro-Palestinian.
• 🔍 The emails were first reported on by Matthew Petty of Reason magazine, with initial scoops focusing on Ehud Barak's discussions with Jeffrey Epstein regarding investments in companies like Carbine (formerly Reporty) and Fifth Dimension.

The "12 Tribes" Initiative and Israel Cyber Shield

• 🚀 Benny Gantz, former chief of the Israeli military, initiated a program called "12 Tribes" during his private sector tenure (2015-2020) to recruit philanthropists to counter the BDS movement using cyber technology.
• 🤝 This initiative involved discussions with the private intelligence firm Black Cube and David Ellison, with the explicit goal of using leaks like the Snowden revelations to surpass competitors like Palantir.
• 🌐 "12 Tribes" evolved into a program known as Israel Cyber Shield, also referred to by its American legal name, Innovative Collaboration Strategies, and is linked to the propaganda initiative Voices of Israel.

Ellison Family's Involvement and Funding

• 💰 The leaks indicate that David Ellison was approached by Gantz in 2015 to support the "12 Tribes" initiative, with discussions also involving Safra Catz.
• 📧 Ellison, through his SkyDance email, responded positively to Gantz's proposal in December 2015, showing explicit interest in supporting efforts against the BDS movement.
• 🇨🇦 Initial funders for the counter-BDS program included Canadian billionaire Heather Reisman (CEO of Indigo Books) and her husband Gerald Schwartz (CEO of Onyx Corporation), as well as Australian billionaire Frank Lowy (chairman of the Institute for National Security Studies).

Broader Implications and Media Influence

• 📰 The "12 Tribes" initiative, core to the counter-BDS program, was co-founded by prominent Israeli national security journalist Yov Lemore, highlighting the deep integration of media and government in these operations.
• 🗣️ The reporting suggests that Israeli influence campaigns and efforts to control public opinion, particularly concerning criticism of Israel, have been a long-term strategy predating October 7th.
• 📺 The involvement of the Ellison family, particularly David Ellison's coordination with former Israeli military officials, raises concerns about their potential influence over major media outlets like CBS and TikTok in shaping narratives around Israel.