Tel Aviv / PNN /
Official documents have revealed that the Israeli government has signed a series of multimillion-dollar contracts in recent months with American firms specializing in political marketing and public relations, in an effort to restore its standing among U.S. public opinion after a sharp decline in support — even within conservative circles.
According to a report published Thursday by Haaretz, Israel’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, through the Government Advertising Bureau, have concluded several agreements with U.S. companies to “promote Israel’s image and combat antisemitism.”
The projects are funded through the German company Havas Media, a subsidiary of the international advertising group Havas, which serves as the executive intermediary. The documents indicate that Israel has paid over $100 million through this channel since 2018 to promote and finance media campaigns in the United States.
The largest of these contracts was signed in August with Clock Tower X, owned by Brad Parscale, who ran Donald Trump’s digital campaign in the 2016 and 2020 elections. The $6-million, four-month deal provides “strategic consulting and planning, and the execution of a comprehensive campaign in the United States to combat antisemitism.”
According to contract details filed with the U.S. Department of Justice, the company must produce “at least 100 core materials per month,” including videos, audio clips, designs, and texts, along with “5,000 derivative versions” monthly — aiming for 50 million monthly views. About 80% of the content targets young Americans on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Haaretz reported that much of the campaign’s messaging is distributed through Salem Media Network, a conservative Christian media conglomerate owning more than 200 radio stations and websites across the U.S. Parscale was appointed this year as the network’s chief strategy officer.
Though the focus on Christian audiences is unusual, surveys by the Pew Research Center between 2022 and 2025 show a steep decline in support for Israel among American conservatives: negative opinions rose from 42% in 2022 to 53% this year — including among Republicans under 50.
Among young Democrats, negative views of Israel climbed to 71%, up from 62% three years ago, reflecting a widening divide in attitudes toward Israel even within the traditionally pro-Israel conservative base. A 2024 report by Tel Aviv University’s Center for the Study of the United States (CSUS) identified a similar trend among young evangelicals, who have become more critical of Israel, a shift attributed to images of destruction in Gaza and the waning impact of traditional Israeli PR.
Another campaign, financed by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, was conducted through Show Faith by Works, owned by Republican consultant and evangelical activist Chad Schnitzger. With a budget exceeding $3 million, the campaign sought to “raise Christian awareness” against what it termed “Palestinian support for terrorism,” focusing largely on “targeting churches and Christian organizations in the western United States.”
Documents show the use of geofencing technology — setting precise digital perimeters around churches and Christian colleges in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado to track worshippers and later direct ads to them. The target audience was estimated at eight million churchgoers and four million Christian students.
Despite privacy concerns, the Israeli Foreign Ministry told Haaretz that claims about geofencing or influencer payments were “false” and part of a “coordinated disinformation campaign against Israel.” The ministry said its activities so far were limited to “exhibitions and digital installations showing the atrocities of October 7.”
Drafts of the campaign listed potential celebrity partners such as Chris Pratt, Jon Voight, Tim Tebow, and Stephen Curry, though it remains unclear whether they were contacted. Plans also included developing “educational materials” for pastors and organizing a traveling VR exhibition called “The October 7 Experience” to be displayed in churches and universities.
A notable clause in the Clock Tower X contract refers to a “Search and Language Operation” aimed not only at shaping traditional search engine results but also at influencing “conversational outputs on ChatGPT and AI platforms such as Claude,” by steering language pathways related to Israel. According to Haaretz, this marks the first known public attempt by a state to influence AI chat systems and shape their political narratives.
In a related move, the Israeli government signed another contract with Bridges Partners, owned by consultants Yair Levy and Uri Steinberg, both former officials in Israel’s Tourism Ministry. Valued at around $1 million, the deal aims to “enhance cultural exchange between the U.S. and Israel through influencer-driven content.”
The initiative, titled the “Esther Project,” employs up to 20 influencers to post 30 pieces of content monthly across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X (Twitter), for fees ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. The documents mention that one of the beneficiaries is a media adviser who previously worked with Benjamin Netanyahu and the families of Israeli hostages.
The project’s name echoes a plan by the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington — also titled “Project Esther” — described as part of a “national strategy to combat antisemitism,” though critics said it effectively sought to criminalize pro-Palestinian activism on U.S. campuses.
According to Haaretz, these contracts form part of a broader Israeli strategy to deploy artificial intelligence in influence operations. Internal documents reveal a plan named Project Max, developed under the “Voices of Israel” division of the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, aimed at “combating delegitimization of Israel” through AI and Big Data analytics.
The plan envisions a “technological war room” equipped with monitoring, publishing, and activation systems combining human influencers and automated bots programmed to generate pro-Israel propaganda.
Haaretz noted that earlier attempts to launch such bots suffered technical failures that produced awkward or contradictory content, but said current efforts reflect a more sophisticated digital propaganda strategy integrating AI tools, influencers, and sponsored media campaigns.
