The price of propaganda: How Israel is fighting its war online

Report by Joe Farchakh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Two years after its devastating war in Gaza, Israel is opening a new front, a war not on the ground, but online. Instead of missiles and drones, the weapons this time are influencers, reels, and viral shares.

According to an investigation by Responsible Statecraft, Israel is paying a group of American influencers between $5,000 and $7,000 per post to reshape its image and sway U.S. public opinion. 

The campaign, dubbed Project Esther, is directly funded by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and operated by a Washington-based startup, Bridges Partners. Between June and September 2024, Israel reportedly allocated around $900,000 for its social media operations.

The goal is to rewrite the narrative, transforming Israel's image from that of an aggressor accused of genocide into a nation defending itself. 

However, it is a large-scale brainwashing effort.

Israel has also signed a $6 million contract with Clock Tower X LLC, a company led by Brad Parscale, former campaign manager for Donald Trump. The firm’s mission is to generate 50 million monthly views across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, targeting Gen Z.

Israel’s push comes after discovering that younger Americans are increasingly receptive to alternative narratives about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a trend made evident during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States, where he met with Jewish-American influencers. 

Israeli officials reportedly fear that, within a decade, this generation could influence election outcomes and shift Washington’s long-standing support for Israel.

A Middle East Monitor report added that Clock Tower X is also seeking to influence artificial intelligence systems, including ChatGPT and other major platforms, by flooding the internet with pro-Israel articles and websites. The aim is to manipulate search engine results and suppress alternative perspectives on Palestine and Gaza.

While Israel’s digital campaign may be extensive, the images emerging from Gaza, of destruction, hunger, and loss, continue to resonate globally. In the digital age, every post from Gaza’s civilians tells a story that no paid campaign can erase.

As the battle moves online, one question remains: who wrote and paid for “neutral” content about Israel?