Wired for War: Why is the UK protecting Israeli election meddlers?

London’s refusal to investigate BlackCore suggests that the company is doing the bidding of the Israeli state The British government is refusing to disclose information on how an Israeli “information warfare” firm targeted Scotland’s pro-Palestine first minister.

Nobody’s saying who ordered the operation, but a trail of clues leads through Africa to Tel Aviv.

Read more Wired for war: The Israeli spy-tech machine strikes again The operation was revealed in June by Viginum, a division of France’s DGSI domestic intelligence agency focused on combatting foreign interference.

According to Viginum’s report , an Israeli private “information warfare” firm called BlackCore interfered in mayoral elections in France, parliamentary elections in Scotland, and the mayoral election in New York City, all of which took place between March and June of this year.

RT already covered the French plot in our ‘Wired for War’ series, and BlackCore’s activity in Scotland followed a similar playbook.

At least 256 accounts were created to spread disparaging information about First Minister John Swinney, a vocal supporter of Palestine who has publicly stated that “a genocide is unfolding in Gaza as a result of Israel’s actions,” banned public funding to Israeli-linked companies, and called on the British government to recognize the State of Palestine.

The British government has refused two separate Freedom of Information requests filed by The National, a Scottish newspaper.

In one response, the government said it would not disclose any information it had on BlackCore, as to do so would “prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and any other state,” The National reported on August 11.

In a second response, it explained that the request was denied in order to “avoid giving offence to other nations and retain the trust of our international partners.” Let’s be clear - a genocide is unfolding in Gaza as a result of Israel’s actions.

We all have a moral and legal responsibility to act, and Scotland will play its part.

Today I have set out a range of diplomatic, economic and humanitarian measures.

Read below for more. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/suoMbpNu2j — John Swinney (@JohnSwinney) September 3, 2025 The other state referenced here is evidently Israel.

Is BlackCore an Israeli intelligence cutout? Little is known about BlackCore.

The company scrubbed its online presence immediately after the Viginum report was published, but according to archived material from its website, BlackCore is “an elite influence, cyber, and technology company built for the modern era of information warfare.” It specializes in “shap[ing] narratives” and “influenc[ing] perceptions” for clients in politics and government, and supposedly has been operating for 15 years.