Iran Amplifies Online Call to Ban Israel from Paris 2024 Olympics

Iran Amplifies Online Call to Ban Israel from Paris 2024 Olympics

Iran is amplifying a growing online narrative calling for Israel to be banned from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, according to PeakMetrics. The surge in mentions of this narrative—driven by bot-like activity and Iran’s misleading amplification—suggests an intent to disrupt the International Olympic Committee’s meeting starting June 12.

PeakMetrics found that 25% of the 50,000+ mentions of the #BanIsrael narrative on social media came from accounts with fewer than 100 followers, one indicator of bot-like behavior. In contrast, only 5% of posts came from accounts with over 5,000 followers, typical of official or media accounts, explaining why the narrative is more prominent on social media than in the news.

The coordinated inauthentic activity suggests potential state involvement, likely from Iran, in boosting this narrative. As the momentum of the #BanIsrael movement grows, the risk of protests targeting the Paris Olympics and IOC headquarters may escalate around the Executive Board’s meeting. Iranian media has amplified and, exaggerated the crowd size of, other anti-Israel Olympics protests in Paris. While much attention has focused on Russian threats to Paris 2024, Iran’s amplification of the #BanIsrael narrative and the detected bot-like activity may signal its increasing efforts to disrupt the summer games.