Dozens of suspected bot accounts on X/Twitter are amplifying content from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his circle, and reportedly can be traced to New York City Hall IP infrastructure, the World Zionist Organization told The Jerusalem Post exclusively.
As part of its activities against the waves of antisemitism online, WZO’s dedicated Department for Combating Antisemitism was presented with data and findings collected by cyber experts specializing in the field.
The information included an analysis of IP addresses and mapping of activity patterns and distribution networks of suspected bot accounts.
WZO’s technological examination of activity on the X network points to dozens, if not hundreds, of accounts with unusual characteristics. The Post independently consulted the cyber experts involved, who said they are “100% sure” the IP addresses could be traced to city hall, although it did not provide evidence establishing who controlled the accounts or whether city officials directed their activity.
WZO examined unusual X accounts amplifying Mamdani
An examination of activity on X identified a broad group of accounts displaying unusual activity patterns that were remarkably similar to one another: hundreds of tweets and shares per day, an extremely high rate of repeated posts, newly created accounts or accounts with little personal activity, partial profile descriptions, and sometimes usernames that appear automated.
The WZO research team estimated that there are hundreds of suspected bot accounts, with more appearing each day.
The main common denominator among the accounts is their consistent tendency to amplify content originating from Mamdani’s official account, city accounts, and accounts belonging to political allies and officials identified with the mayor.
The report presented to the Post documents dozens of accounts with a similar behavioral fingerprint. In many cases, 96% to 100% of the accounts’ activity consisted of repeated sharing, and no original content was found on them.
One indicator, the analysts said, consistent with bot activity was the number of daily posts. Several accounts recorded activity of more than 500 posts per day, with extreme cases exceeding 800 or 900 tweets daily. This level of activity is difficult to explain as normal human behavior.
For example, the account @SnoopyLima13 recorded 955 tweets per day, with a repeated-sharing rate of 100%. The account @CatCat2005689 recorded 864 tweets per day, also with a 100% repeated-sharing rate.
It is important to clarify that an unusual activity rate alone does not prove that an account is operated by software. An account could be managed by a person, use scheduling tools, or combine partial automation. However, the analysts told the Post that when such activity appears alongside repeated-sharing rates close to 100%, empty profiles, recently created accounts, and identical patterns across dozens of accounts, suspicion of automated or coordinated activity increases substantially.
NYC mayor's account served as central point for bot army
According to the observed pattern, Mamdani’s account and municipal accounts frequently serve as starting points for amplification. A post appears on a central account and is then quickly shared by many accounts with unusual characteristics.
In some of the examined accounts, the repeated-sharing rate of the NYC mayor’s content reached 98% to 100%.
Some accounts were created only days before the analysis but were already capable of publishing hundreds of times daily.
For example, one account created three days before the examination, with no followers and only 13 posts, recorded 201 tweets per day and a 100% repeated-sharing rate.
According to the analysts, this pattern can increase exposure far beyond what would normally be achieved through organic distribution alone.
The more controversial or emotionally charged the message is, the more likely it is to receive additional shares, comments, and quotes.
This creates a self-reinforcing cycle, the analysts said. Initial accounts create volume; the volume causes algorithmic exposure; increased exposure brings reactions from real users; and real-user engagement further expands reach.
The result? Hundreds of percentage points of increased exposure and potentially millions of views, not necessarily because millions of people independently became interested in the original post, but because an unusual amplification system provided an initial boost.
For example, on July 27, Mamdani published a video from his office in which he said that he could not arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu in NYC, while accusing Israel of killing thousands.
The video received millions of views, with each bot responsible for generating massive outreach.
Was Mamdani's communications team aware of the X bots?
Communications teams are generally responsible for managing official accounts, distributing messages, and coordinating responses.
Therefore, with a large network of accounts systematically amplifying the mayor’s posts and city messaging, the analysts said the findings raised questions of whether the communications staff were aware of the activity, whether it was reported internally, and whether there were any organizational or operational relationships between the actors.
Again, the information collected so far does not establish that the mayor, his staff, or the communications team instructed the accounts to operate.
The most valid conclusion with the information available is that there are significant signs of organized amplification activity around official and affiliated accounts, but the identity of the operators, the sources of funding, and the chain of command require additional investigation.
The findings do not, by themselves, constitute proof of identity or prove that operators received direct instructions from an official source, but they raise significant questions.
In light of the findings, WZO said it will appeal to Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the United States’ Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, requesting that he forward the findings to US law enforcement authorities for examination and investigation into the suspected coordinated online activity.
“There is a need for a thorough, professional, and independent investigation into these hate-amplification operations,” Yifat Ovadia-Luski, head of the Department for Combating Antisemitism at the WZO, told the Post.
“Today’s antisemitism begins online and then moves into the streets, and the spread of hatred on social media is a central driver of that incitement. This is a well-oiled influence machine designed to shape the international arena, and it is making Jews feel less safe in New York City and across the United States.
“We cannot stand by. We are calling for intervention by the US federal authorities.”
Mark Goldfeder, CEO and director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, told the Post that NJAC is referring the matter to the Department of Investigation and the Conflicts of Interest Board. It is also requesting the city hall server logs.
“City employees may not use public resources for political messaging, and public officials may not deceive the public they serve; that has been New York law since long before anyone wrote a bot,” Goldfeder told the Post.
The Jerusalem Post reached out to the US State Department and City Hall for comment, but they did not respond by press time.