Further revelations expose $100m behind Israel’s frantic bid to win back US opinion

Further revelations have emerged about the millions fuelling Israel’s frantic battle to win back US public opinion. They follow reports that Israeli officials were furious after a multimillion-dollar influence campaign failed to halt the collapse in support for Israel among young American conservatives.

According to an investigation by Haaretz, Israel has committed roughly $100 million to overseas campaigns aimed at improving its image and shaping perceptions of its genocide in Gaza and war on Iran since 7 October 2023.

The report uncovered government procurement documents and filings submitted under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) which reveal an extensive network of digital advertising campaigns, public relations firms, influencers and civil society organisations. Despite the unprecedented investment, polling shows that Israel’s standing among Americans has continued to deteriorate.  

The largest documented commitment was a 174-million-shekel campaign, equivalent to approximately $52 million, managed by Israel’s Government Advertising Agency. The operation began during the 12-day war with Iran in June 2025 and continued until December.

Authorities are said to have allocated 90 million shekels, ($27 million), to Google’s advertising platforms; 60 million shekels, ($18 million), to YouTube; ten million shekels, ($3 million), to X; and 14 million shekels, ($4.2 million), to Outbrain and Teads.

The revelations provide new detail to earlier reporting that Israel has flooded American phones with AI-generated messages while creating websites, articles and other online content intended to influence the information produced by chatbots such as ChatGPT and Claude.

READ: Israel floods US phones with AI messages in campaign to manipulate public opinion⁠

The Haaretz report uncovered a second influence channel operating through American advertising, lobbying and public relations companies whose activities appear in FARA filings.

Israel retained multinational advertising and public relations company Havas, which employed several subcontractors. At the centre of the operation is a company owned by Brad Parscale, the digital consultant who managed Donald Trump’s election campaigns.

Payments for activities described as “digital advertising” reportedly tripled to $4.5 million a month in 2026. The contract is said to be worth $31.5 million between April and October, bringing the total value of the agreement to $40.5 million since September 2025.

Financial disclosures show that Israel had already transferred $15 million through six payments by the end of March. Parscale’s company then spent approximately $13 million on American subcontractors.

Earlier reports revealed growing frustration among Israeli officials over the campaign’s failure to reverse declining support, despite millions of dollars being directed towards conservative American audiences.⁠

Israel has signed several additional agreements as part of the influence operation. These include a contract worth nearly $1 million with New York creative agency Piro for a “digital storytelling” project.

A separate campaign targeting evangelical Christian audiences has received approximately $3.3 million and could eventually be worth $4 million. Israel has also made payments to law firms and public relations companies in Washington.

READ: Israel to spend $730m on propaganda as global image collapses over Gaza genocide

An American non-profit organisation received $150,000 to bring US influencers to Israel on public diplomacy visits. Taken together, the documented commitments made through American firms amount to approximately $50 million.

A third channel operates through Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry. Investigations by Haaretz, The Seventh Eye and Shakuf found that the ministry transferred approximately 25 million shekels, equivalent to around $7.5 million, in grants to about 100 organisations and influencers during 2024 and early 2025.

The ministry spent another 20 million shekels, approximately $6 million, on producing and distributing videos.

Some civil society organisations reportedly promoted Israeli government messaging without disclosing that the state had funded their activities. It remains unclear whether similar undisclosed projects are still operating.

The three channels do not appear to function through a single, integrated structure and it is thought that they maybe financing similar activities through separate mechanisms. The documented $100 million represents commitments through the two largest channels and does not include all the money distributed by the Diaspora Affairs Ministry.

The spending forms part of a dramatic expansion of Israel’s hasbara, or state propaganda, budget. Public diplomacy funding reached 545 million shekels, approximately $150 million, in 2025, more than 20 times its previous level.

READ: ‘Things have only gotten worse’: Israel fumes as millions fail to stop collapse in US support

It’s believed that even these figures may not reveal the full scale of the operation. Israel funds influence campaigns through ministries, state agencies, government directorates and the military. The costs of some projects launched after October 2023 remain secret, making it impossible to determine the total amount spent.

However, the surge in funding has failed to reverse the collapse in American support.

A Pew Research Centre survey conducted in March found that 60 per cent of US adults viewed Israel unfavourably, compared with 53 per cent in 2025 and 42 per cent in 2022. Majorities of Americans under 50 in both main political parties now view Israel negatively.  

Gallup found that 41 per cent of Americans sympathised more with Palestinians, compared with 36 per cent who sympathised more with Israelis. It marked the first time since Gallup began its annual measurement in 2001 that Israelis did not hold the lead in American sympathies.  

The decline has reached conservative audiences previously regarded as among Israel’s most reliable supporters. More than $40 million has been allocated specifically to influence right-wing Americans amid growing opposition to Israel’s policies among younger conservatives.⁠

US Vice President JD Vance has also acknowledged that Israel is “losing the battle” for American public opinion. During an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Vance said that he objected when foreign influence campaigns affected the judgement of American leaders.

READ: Israel allocates over $40m to regain support among US conservatives