The expose about the “prime mover” behind the pro-Israel “disinformation” network, the Shirion Collective, by The Guardian newspaper brings to light the concerted campaign against pro-Palestine activists and organizations around the world.
According to the report, a tech entrepreneur named Daniel Linden who co-wrote a guidebook for OnlyFans users, is behind Shirion – an “online operation” that appeared on platforms such as X, Telegram and GoFundMe since late 2023.
It aimed to “coordinate the spread of pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian propaganda, and the harassment of pro-Palestinian protesters in the west,” the report said.
On X, Shirion describes itself as a “Surveillance Network” that is “Scraping digital fingerprints to aggressively track and expose antisemitism.”
The Shirion Collective “stands as a formidable Jewish surveillance group,” that since October 7, “has taken a staunch stance against hatred and bigotry, employing advanced digital tactics to shield the Jewish community.”
The man behind the Shirion Collective exposed
The Shirion Collective which offers “bounties” for individuals doxing pro-Palestinian advocates online has been revealed to be run by tech entrepreneur Daniel Linden.
The online pro-Israeli disinformation operation calls itself a… pic.twitter.com/bNgiPcv2WT
— MintPress News (@MintPressNews) July 2, 2024
It calls upon “global allies” to join in “their defensive crusade” and says it is “relentless in its mission to expose and neutralize” what it deems to be “antisemitic elements.”
At “the heart” of its operations, the profile states is “the Maccabeen Project – a sophisticated AI-driven tool designed for modern digital warfare against antisemitism,” which uses “automated monitoring, reporting, and awareness-raising, especially in sensitive sectors.”
Linden set up Shirion’s crowdfunding efforts, reported The Guardian, and “appears to play a central role in operating the network’s social media accounts.”
Another Palestinian journalist has been murdered by @israel during his coverage of Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
RIP Mohamed Al-Salehi 💔🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/zvUO3LIqjT
— Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis (@DrLoupis) May 6, 2024
‘Cash for Info’
In November 2023, Shirion began offering “bounties” for the identification of people involved in pro-Palestinian protests whom they characterized as antisemites, the report said.
A post on X read: “We now PAY CASH for GREAT insider information.”
“Wanted: Insiders Against Antisemitism,” it said, offering “rewards” including for “Politicians: $10,000”, “Professors: $1,000” and “Students: $500”.
“Help us unmask hidden antisemites,” the post urged.
Shirion has subsequently posted dozens of bounty offers and also “claimed to have paid out to people who have allowed them to identify their perceived opponents,” the Guardian said.
💰BOUNTY LIST UPDATES💰
Please 👉BOOKMARK and SHARE to get the word out.
We now PAY CASH for GREAT insider information.
📧DM @ShirionOrg for more details!
REMEMBER: 👉FOLLOW👈 to watch the HUNT! pic.twitter.com/CnIAJxr5NN
— Shirion Collective (@ShirionOrg) November 29, 2023
GoFundMe Campaigns
According to The Guardian, Shirion organized two GoFundMe fundraisers in April and May 2024 raising more than $57,000.
It had used funds to place trucks with big-screen monitors showing footage of the October 7 resistance operation near universities in various American cities. Representative Ilhan Omar criticized the action in Congress after it screened footage to the University of California, Los Angeles protest encampment, the report said.
It has frequently “celebrated police violence” against pro-Palestine protesters in the United States, as well as celebrated the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza, including that of journalists.
The Guardian said Shirion has also shared “conspiracy theories about Muslims, including one projecting a Muslim takeover of Europe.”
🤣🤣🤣
Also pic.twitter.com/7ZczVTVE0F
— Shirion Collective (@ShirionOrg) November 12, 2023
‘Outright Disinformation’
The network often “posts outright disinformation,” for example, captioning images and videos of pro-Palestinian protesters taking a lesson in Haitian martial arts “with the claim that they were ‘Practicing Slaughter Techniques on Jews’.”
Heidi Beirich, co-founder and chief strategy officer at the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, told The Guardian that although Linden’s “ideology seems very confused”, he was “spreading hateful messages.”
She reportedly said that “any time there is a protest movement or a mass mobilization, extremist actors will try to use it to their advantage, whether that’s to hijack the message or to make the situation more volatile”.
Source: Palestine Chronicle