Israel's Defense Ministry Trains for Psychological Operations
Severity: Medium (Score: 57.0)
Sources: 972Mag
Published: · Updated:
Keywords: israel, public, consciousness, defense, revealed, curriculum, influencing
Severity indicators: defense
Summary
Israel's Defense Ministry is training soldiers for psychological operations to influence public consciousness domestically and internationally. The courses, revealed through an internal tender, include data manipulation, intelligence gathering, and influencer training. They focus on offensive operations aimed at disrupting target audiences' beliefs and behaviors. Techniques taught include 'Black Hat' methods for circumventing tech platform rules and planning information operations. The training aligns with directives from Israel's political leadership. The program is set to begin in August 2025, with a two-year contract option for extension. Lecturers are required to have advanced degrees and relevant experience in influence and security fields. The courses are designed for both local and foreign defense personnel. Key Points: • Israel's Defense Ministry is training personnel for psychological operations. • Courses include offensive influence operations and data manipulation techniques. • Training aligns with directives from Israel's political leadership.
Detailed Analysis
**Impact** The training program targets Israeli defense personnel domestically and abroad, as well as unspecified foreign partners, potentially producing up to 320 influence experts annually. The scope includes psychological operations aimed at manipulating public consciousness both within Israel and internationally. The operational consequences involve enhanced capabilities in offensive influence campaigns, including propaganda, deception, and cyber warfare, which could affect political, military, and civilian sectors globally. No specific data breaches or direct data at risk were reported. **Technical Details** The curriculum includes tactics such as “Black Hat” techniques that bypass platform rules to distribute illegitimate content, use of data-driven influence operations, intelligence gathering on target populations, and online activism. Training covers campaign planning, execution, and evaluation aligned with directives from Israel’s political leadership. No specific malware, CVEs, or infrastructure details were disclosed. The activities correspond to early to mid kill chain stages, focusing on reconnaissance, weaponization, and delivery of influence content. **Recommended Response** Defenders should monitor for advanced influence operations leveraging data analytics, deceptive content, and coordinated online activism, especially those employing techniques that circumvent platform security controls. Security teams should enhance detection of disinformation campaigns and anomalous content distribution patterns. No specific patches or IOCs were provided; therefore, emphasis should be placed on monitoring information operations and strengthening resilience against psychological manipulation.
Source articles (2)
- Revealed: Israel's curriculum for 'influencing public consciousness' - +972 Magazine — 972Mag · 2026-06-04
Israel’s defense establishment is training soldiers and other defense officials to conduct psychological operations designed to “influence public consciousness” in Israel and abroad, an internal Defen… - Revealed: Israel's curriculum for 'influencing public consciousness' - +972 Magazine — 972Mag · 2026-06-05
Israel’s defense establishment is training soldiers and other defense officials to conduct psychological operations designed to “influence public consciousness” in Israel and abroad, an internal Defen…
Timeline
- 2025-07-01 — Internal tender published: The Israeli Defense Ministry published a tender outlining the curriculum for psychological operations training.
- 2025-08-01 — First course scheduled to begin: The initial training course for psychological operations is set to start, focusing on influence tactics.
Related entities
- Israel (Country)