Shady websites calling for a boycott of Qatar, a billboard in New York City attacking the Gulf state’s rulers, and a Vietnamese organization distributing hundreds of defamatory Facebook ads are all part of a vast influence operation to smear the country as it mediates between Israel and Hamas.
The shadowy operation, which began late last year and spans several countries, is the largest ever targeting the wealthy emirate, disinformation researchers say, as a nine-month war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group continues.
The campaigns, which often feature Islamophobic and anti-immigrant elements, include an anti-Qatar ad that ran at a gathering of political conservatives in the US attended by Donald Trump, and an online petition on change.org attributed to a fictitious person and organization.
