Israel Is Launching a $50 Million Campaign to Improve Its Image in the U.S.

Israel is spending about $50 million on a campaign to shape public opinion in the United States, The Wall Street Journal reports. Its aim is to improve perceptions of the country as American support declines amid the wars in Gaza and Iran.

One of the project’s leaders is Brad Parscale, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager. His company, Clock Tower X, was hired last September by the advertising agency Havas, acting on behalf of the State of Israel, according to filings submitted to the US Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Under the contract’s original terms, the firm received $1.5 million a month, while its total value rose from $6 million to $9 million by the end of December.

The campaign includes distributing AI-generated messages, advertising in conservative media, working with influencers and developing websites intended to shape how chatbots describe Israel. Parscale agreed to produce 100 pieces of original content a month, at least 80% of them aimed at Generation Z audiences on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and podcasts; generate at least 50 million digital impressions each month; and influence how ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini characterize Israel and the war.

The US program is part of a broader international campaign costing Israel about $700 million and intended to bolster the country’s image. In addition to the contract with Parscale, it includes $50 million in advertising purchases on Google, YouTube and X, visits by 400 foreign delegations costing roughly $40 million, a $4.1 million campaign targeting evangelical churches and a network of paid influencers called “Project Esther.”

The campaign has yet to produce discernible results. According to the Pew Research Center, only 32% of Americans view the Israeli government favorably, while the share of young Republicans with an unfavorable opinion has risen from 50% to 57% over the past year. An Israeli official familiar with the contract’s terms told Time magazine that the government was dissatisfied with Parscale’s work: despite the money spent, the situation had only deteriorated.

The campaign has also created tension in Washington. Vice President JD Vance told podcaster Joe Rogan that “certain elements” in the Israeli government were trying to influence American public opinion so the war with Iran would continue indefinitely. After the United States and Iran reached a truce, administration officials noticed that MAGA influencers were publishing similar posts criticizing the agreement and accusing the president of capitulating before Iran’s nuclear program had been destroyed.