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| Defending Israel on the internet illustration |
The Israeli government has recruited more than 500 students who are monitoring the internet in order to fight for Israel, according to a statement released by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office.
Students in Israel are now funded by the government to form "undercover internet units" to defend the country on Facebook, Twitter and other internet sites.
The Prime Minister's office is spending around $750,000 after recruiting more than 500 students to respond to social networking messages calling for boycotts and sanctions against the country.
People with knowledge of foreign languages, who were recruited in these units, will not declare that they are paid government agents, instead, the plan is to make the activity seem politically neutral. The Prime Minister's Office also hopes to recruit groups of pro-Israel students worldwide.
Israel certainly is not be the first country to pay users to defend their interests online. China formed the 50 Cent Party which recruits people who are being paid by the Beijing government to help influence public opinion by posting pro-China messages on internet forums. They are named after the sum they are allegedly being paid, 50 cents per message.