In Israel, an influencer embodies political brutality ahead of the elections

With his cap pulled low and his phone held like a weapon, Mordechai David has made a name for himself by ambushing and filming individuals deemed "leftist." His target today: the parents of a documentary filmmaker critical of the Israeli army.

"You are not welcome!", he shouts into a megaphone, as dozens of protesters march past the home of the parents of Rachel Szor, co-director with Yuval Abraham of the film "NAZA", about civilians killed during the war in Gaza.

This 27-year-old far-right influencer is one of the most prominent faces of the brutalization of political life in Israel, where the first legislative elections since the Hamas 7-October attacks, which exacerbated polarization, will be held at the end of the month.

The methods of this close associate of the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir: to track down, then accost personalities deemed "leftist" or unpatriotic, and post the sequence online, to the great delight of his 150,000 subscribers on social networks.

"Social media can be more powerful than TV," Mr. David told AFP. "Just this week, I've posted several videos that have each surpassed one million views," he boasted, asserting that he wanted to "show the public the truth."

- "Normalized violence" -

His list of victims includes, among others, the Israeli Arab journalist Lucy Aharish, who was copiously insulted, and Aharon Barak, a 90-year-old former president of the Supreme Court and Holocaust survivor, who was prevented from getting out of his car and verbally abused while the police were slow to intervene.

"Age doesn't grant special privileges," Mordechai David argued after the incident, which sparked outrage in Israel. He went on to accuse the former judge, a critic of several government measures, of having "seized control of the state" and established a "fascist dictatorship."

This rhetoric echoes that of Benjamin Netanyahu's government, one of the most right-wing in the country's history, which accuses the judiciary of having "stolen sovereignty from the people".

For Achiya Schatz, founder of the NGO FakeReporter which analyzes online political debate, Mr. David embodies the "level of polarization of Israeli society and the way in which political aggression and violence have become normalized" in the run-up to the October 27 elections.

A "significant portion" of the popular right-wing electorate "feels ignored and discriminated against" by institutions, despite the government's rightward shift, and the influencer "transforms this resentment into action. He makes aggression a political expression and entertainment," he adds.

As a sign of the acrimonious turn the current election campaign has taken, Mr. Netanyahu and several ministers are releasing numerous AI-generated videos that portray their opponents in a degrading manner.

- "Lineage" with Ben Gvir -

Subject to numerous complaints from victims of his filmed stunts, Mr. David sees his provocations rewarded by frequent invitations to Channel 14, which is close to the government.

The influencer's visibility is also explained by his close relationship with Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a leading figure of the far-right supremacist movement, whose violent acts and speeches against Palestinians regularly provoke outrage abroad but have become commonplace in Israel.

Mr. Schatz says he sees a political "connection" between the two men. The minister even recruited the influencer to his campaign team to boost his visibility among young people.

Recognition of its online impact, regardless of the reality on the ground of its staged events.

In mid-September, a few days before the Jewish New Year, Mr. David attempted to organize a street prayer in Tel Aviv with separation of men and women, a practice prohibited by this progressive municipality.

He calls out to passersby, and when the police intervene to remove the screens, his cameras film the brief scuffle that ensues. The video, posted online immediately, gives the impression of a violent confrontation.

"A few individuals can create an incident that generates ten videos, hundreds of posts, television coverage, and several days of political controversy," notes Mr. Schatz. "The physical event is just the set. The real audience is online."