#ODNI Israeli firm #BlackCore suspected of meddling in New York U.S. federal agencies like the #FBI and CISA have declined to comment on the New York vulnerabilities. The Israeli digital influence company BlackCore is suspected of meddling in the 2025 New

#ODNI
Israeli firm  #BlackCore suspected of meddling in New York
U.S. federal agencies like the  #FBI and CISA have declined to comment on the New York vulnerabilities.
The Israeli digital influence company BlackCore is suspected of meddling in the 2025 New York City municipal election. According to a detailed report by France’s foreign disinformation watchdog, Viginum, the firm allegedly deployed coordinated networks of fake social media accounts to shape political narratives and manipulate public discourse. The New York operation targeted the mayoral election, which was ultimately won by pro-Palestinian candidate Zohran Mamdani. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Overview of BlackCore’s Operations

Modus Operandi: The firm utilized automated bot networks and fake social media profiles to post coordinated comments and execute digital smear campaigns. [2, 5]
Self-Description: Before scrubbing its online footprint in June 2026, BlackCore marketed itself as an “elite influence, cyber, and technology company” providing narrative-shaping tools for information warfare. [6, 7]
Lack of Attribution: While Viginum tracked the technical signature directly to the Israel-based firm, investigators have not yet identified who originally financed or commissioned the New York campaign. [8, 9]

Broader Global Interference [10]
The New York investigation is part of a larger global pattern revealed by European intelligence services: [1, 4]

France: The watchdog first exposed BlackCore for targeting three pro-Palestinian candidates from the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party ahead of local elections. [1, 8]
Scotland: Investigators detected at least 256 linked accounts that left roughly 1,400 coordinated comments targeting Scottish First Minister John Swinney and the Scottish National Party (SNP) ahead of their May 2026 election. [2, 11]
Africa: The agency also flagged parallel digital influence operations run by the firm in Angola and Togo. [2, 12]

The French government has formally requested explanations and assistance from Israeli authorities regarding BlackCore’s operations. The Israeli embassy in Paris stated it is waiting for full technical data from the probe to conduct its own internal investigation, adding that the state has no intention of interfering in foreign political processes. Meanwhile, U.S. federal agencies like the FBI and CISA have declined to comment on the New York vulnerabilities. [3, 6, 10, 12]
[Rich media excluded from paste]

[1]  youtube.com
[2]  x.com
[3]  today.lorientlejour.com
[4]  middleeasteye.net
[5]  haaretz.com
[6]  wtvbam.com
[7]  english.aawsat.com
[8]  reuters.com
[9]  lavocedinewyork.com
[10]  youtube.com
[11]  bbc.com
[12]  english.alarabiya.net
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— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jun 14, 2026