Israel’s government has initiated a substantial influence campaign in the United States, detailed in filings with the U.S. Department of Justice. This operation involves a two-pronged approach: significant political advertising and a grassroots social media influencer network. The budget includes contracts totaling up to $900,000 for the “Esther Project” managed by Bridges Partners LLC, which includes $60,000 upfront for recruitment and concept development, $140,000 for development, and monthly allocations of up to $250,000 for influencer fees and production. This project aims to promote cultural interchange between the U.S. and Israel, with influencers expected to post 25-30 pieces of content monthly across platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
In parallel, Israel has contracted Brad Parscale, a former campaign strategist for Donald Trump, for a separate, larger deal worth $1.5 million per month. His firm, Clock Tower X LLC, registered as a foreign agent for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and focuses on “strategic communications” to combat antisemitism. This effort utilizes advanced AI-driven tools, including monthly SEO campaigns with MarketBrew AI and shaping GPT-based chatbot outputs. The contract mandates 100 original ads or content pieces monthly, with 5,000 variations, a volume indicative of automated production.
These initiatives are part of an expanded public diplomacy budget. In December 2024, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar secured a $150 million allocation for global public diplomacy (hasbara), a 20-fold increase over previous budgets. This funding began in May and aims to boost digital outreach, foreign press briefings, and rapid-response messaging. Despite this massive investment, including over $40 million aimed at U.S. conservatives and $9 million already paid to Parscale’s firm, Israeli officials express dissatisfaction, noting that U.S. support, particularly among younger conservatives, continues to decline. Polling data shows only 43% of Republican-identifying voters rated Israel favorably in May 2025, down from 77% in 2024.
Israel’s overall public diplomacy budget has further increased to $730 million amidst an effort to counter its worsening global image. The campaign includes efforts to influence how AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and Google’s Gemini present Israel. It also targets Generation Z audiences through TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and podcasts, and attempts to integrate narratives into properties like the Christian conservative Salem Media Network. Despite these extensive efforts and the scale of spending, a Pew Research Center poll in April found 60% of Americans viewed Israel unfavorably, an increase from 53% in 2025 and 42% in 2022, suggesting the campaigns have not reversed the decline in public support.
