What's happened
Israel's Foreign Ministry is deploying a multimillion-dollar digital campaign in the US, targeting Christian communities with pro-Israel messaging. The effort includes geofenced ads, influencer networks, and AI-driven content, amid declining evangelical support and ongoing conflict in Gaza. The campaign aims to shape American opinion and counter criticism.
What's behind the headline?
The Israeli government’s extensive use of digital and influencer campaigns reveals a strategic shift in public diplomacy, emphasizing technological tools and targeted outreach. The deployment of geofencing around churches and campuses indicates a focus on religious communities, aiming to reinforce biblical and historical narratives supporting Israel. The involvement of high-profile influencers and potential celebrity endorsers suggests an attempt to sway younger audiences, especially Gen Z, who are increasingly skeptical of traditional pro-Israel messaging.
This campaign underscores how Israel perceives the narrative battle as critical to its diplomatic success, especially in a climate where support among US evangelicals is declining. The use of AI and social media automation signals a sophisticated approach to shaping perceptions at scale, likely to intensify in the coming months.
The timing, shortly after the Gaza conflict escalation and the assassination of prominent evangelical pro-Israel voices, indicates a deliberate effort to reassert influence. The substantial financial investment, including a $150 million public diplomacy fund, demonstrates a prioritization of narrative control over traditional diplomatic channels. This raises questions about the influence of foreign governments on domestic political discourse and the potential for misinformation or biased framing of the conflict.
Overall, this campaign will likely deepen the polarization of US public opinion on Israel, with digital influence operations becoming a central battleground in international diplomacy. The next phase will see whether these efforts succeed in reversing declining evangelical support and shaping the broader American narrative around the Gaza conflict.
What the papers say
The articles from The Times of Israel detail Israel’s strategic deployment of a comprehensive digital influence campaign in the US, involving geofencing, influencer networks, and AI tools. They highlight the significant financial resources allocated, including a $150 million public diplomacy budget, and the involvement of firms like Havas Media, Clock Tower X, and Bridges Partners. The coverage emphasizes the campaign’s focus on Christian communities, especially evangelicals, and its timing amid the Gaza conflict escalation.
Contrasting perspectives are limited within these sources, but the detailed disclosures reveal a deliberate, well-funded effort to shape American public opinion. The articles underscore the sophistication of Israel’s influence operations, including plans to train AI systems like ChatGPT to promote pro-Israel narratives, and to recruit celebrities for messaging amplification. The coverage suggests that these efforts are part of a broader, unprecedented push to control the narrative in the US, with potential implications for domestic politics and international diplomacy.
How we got here
Israel has increased its public diplomacy budget significantly since late 2024, aiming to influence US public opinion amid the Gaza conflict. The campaign involves multiple firms, including Havas Media, and focuses on digital outreach, influencer engagement, and AI tools. This effort follows a broader strategy to combat anti-Israel narratives and bolster support among American evangelicals, whose backing has waned with younger generations and recent events.
Go deeper
More on these topics
-
Charlie Kirk is an American conservative activist. He founded Turning Point USA with William T. Montgomery in 2012.
-
Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, and previously from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also the Chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement.
-
Brad Parscale is an American digital consultant and political advisor currently serving as the senior adviser for data and digital operations for Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign.