Spokesperson's unit opens Twitter, Instagram and Telegram platforms aimed at Iran
By EZRA TAYLORIDF Farsi twitter account(photo credit: SCREENSHOT FROM TWITTER)
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit launched social media accounts in Farsi, the language commonly spoken in Iran, the IDF said in a press release on Tuesday.The Farsi accounts are the fifth foreign language accounts being headed by the Spokesperson's Unit's international branch, which is headed by Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus.The IDF says the decision to set up the accounts was made in recent months, the IDF said. Following recent events on Israel's borders.The Farsi accounts were opened on Twitter, Instagram and the encrypted chat platform Telegram.The English, French and Spanish platforms operated by the IDF are maintained by Major Keren Hajioff, who has been credited for her use of snark in IDF tweets and posts.While the IDF has certainly increased its reach since Major Hajioff's appointment, the spokesperson's unit has faced occasional criticism for losing "sight of the fact sometimes that it’s a professional organization that is responsible for using deadly force,” former IDF spokesman Peter Lerner said in April.In a tweet, Lerner said that he had the idea for an IDF account in Farsi "about 6 years ago.""I’m very happy the IDF implemented it," he addedDespite the criticism, tactics employed by the unit have also been described as the "IDF’s secret weapon against Hezbollah," columnist Ben Caspit said.The Arabic platforms are normally managed by a department under Arabic spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee.
