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Israel’s Kohavi: Preparations to Carry Out Operations Against Iran Moving at Rapid Pace

A photo published by the Israeli army on Twitter from the ceremony to introduce the new Air Force chief on Monday, April 4, 2022.
A photo published by the Israeli army on Twitter from the ceremony to introduce the new Air Force chief on Monday, April 4, 2022.
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Israel’s Kohavi: Preparations to Carry Out Operations Against Iran Moving at Rapid Pace

A photo published by the Israeli army on Twitter from the ceremony to introduce the new Air Force chief on Monday, April 4, 2022.
A photo published by the Israeli army on Twitter from the ceremony to introduce the new Air Force chief on Monday, April 4, 2022.

Chief of Staff of the Israeli army Aviv Kohavi and the newly-appointed Air Force Commander, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, addressed Iran on Tuesday and cited operations carried out by their forces in the past and their readiness for the future.

At a ceremony Monday, Bar took over his new post, replacing Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, who has served in the position for five years.

During the event, Kohavi said the process of preparing for operations against Iran is currently moving at a rapid pace.

The Israeli Air Force has improved in recent years, but we still have to adapt to the future, Kohavi added.

He referred to the strikes targeting Iranian positions, arms and militias in Syria and other places in the Middle East region.

“We have enhanced our capabilities to launch airstrikes on our enemy,” he stressed, saying the army will continue to do so, while the air force will continue to play a key role in these wars.

He pointed out that the series of attacks have played an important role in preventing Iranian military deployment in Syria to threaten Israel and its citizens.

Kohavi and Bar affirmed that their forces are conducting an average of one military drill per week to ensure preparedness.

On Tuesday, the army conducted a new military exercise in the Red Sea city of Eilat, during which its forces used military vehicles and warplanes.

The military said this drill was planned as part of the 2022 exercises to determine the army’s readiness.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office announced that he discussed on Tuesday with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi various issues, mainly the Iranian nuclear deal.

It revealed that the coalition deal stipulates that the nuclear file remain within his authority even after handing over his post next year.

In mid-June 2021, Israel’s parliament approved a new coalition government, ending the historic 12-year rule of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sending the polarizing leader into the opposition.

Under the coalition deal, centrist Yair Lapid will replace Bennett as prime minister in August 2023.

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Federal Agencies Warn of Foreign Influence Campaigns Targeting US Voters

US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency logo.
US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency logo.
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Federal Agencies Warn of Foreign Influence Campaigns Targeting US Voters

US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency logo.
US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency logo.

The nation’s federal law enforcement and election security agencies are debunking two new examples of Russian election disinformation on the eve of Election Day, highlighting attempts by foreign actors to sow doubt in the US voting process and warning that the efforts run the risk of inciting violence against election officials.
In a joint statement late Monday, federal officials pointed to a recent article posted by Russian actors falsely claiming that US officials across presidential swing states were orchestrating a plan to commit fraud, as well as a video that falsely depicted an interview with an individual claiming election fraud in Arizona, The Associated Press said.
US intelligence reveals that Russia-linked influence actors “are manufacturing videos and creating fake articles to undermine the legitimacy of the election, instill fear in voters regarding the election process, and suggest Americans are using violence against each other due to political preferences,” read the statement issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials.”
A spokesperson for the Russian Embassy did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Federal officials warned that Russia will likely release additional “manufactured content” on Election Day and poses “the most active threat” when it comes to foreign election influence. The statement also noted that Iran remains a “significant foreign influence threat to US elections."
The effort described by federal officials is part of a wide-ranging influence operation by Russia designed to undermine confidence in the electoral process and sow discord among American voters. Intelligence agencies have assessed that Russia, which also interfered on Donald Trump’s behalf in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, again prefers the Republican nominee and is likely to persist in its influence operations well after Election Day.
Besides manufactured videos intended to promote disinformation, US officials also have accused Russian state media of a covert, multimillion-dollar operation to spread pro-Russia content to American audiences and have seized dozens of internet domains they said fostered propaganda.
In their statement, officials also drew fresh attention to Iran’s attempts to interfere in the election, which include a hack-and-leak operation designed to harm Trump’s candidacy. The Justice Department in September charged three Iranian hackers in that effort.
Iranian actors also have created fake news sites and impersonated activists online in attempts to sway voters, according to analysts at Microsoft. The tech giant said last month that Iranian actors who allegedly sent emails aimed at intimidating US voters in 2020 have been surveying election-related websites and major media outlets, raising concerns they could be preparing for another scheme this year.
As large tech firms and intelligence officials have called out foreign interference this election cycle, Russia, China and Iran have rejected claims that they are seeking to meddle with the US election.
The Arizona video promoted on social media by Russian actors on Monday purported to show an anonymous whistleblower revealing an election fraud scheme. Federal officials said the Arizona Secretary of State’s office had already refuted the content of the video.
Earlier this week, US officials confirmed that a video claiming to show voter fraud in two left-leaning counties in Georgia was fake and the product of a Russian troll farm. And last month, they attributed to Russia another fake video of a person tearing up ballots in what appeared to be Bucks County, Pennsylvania.