New York, June 6 (RHC)-- The New York Times is reporting the Israeli government has been running a secret online campaign to influence and target U.S. lawmakers and the public to generate more support for its war on Gaza. 

The Times reports Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs allocated $2 million for the operation, which has been carried out by an Israeli marketing firm called Stoic.  Last week, the social media company Meta shut down hundreds of fake accounts set up by STOIC. 

The New York Times reports the campaign focused in part on Black Democratic lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock.  The covert operation also created fake accounts on the platform X and set up three fake English-language news sites.