Israel bankrolling influencers to boost image in US – media

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasized the role of social media creators in maintaining the country’s support base in America

Israel has been paying influencers for social media posts to improve its image in the US, according to online magazine Responsible Statecraft. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently stressed the role of content creators in maintaining support for the Jewish state. 

Responsible Statecraft reported on Tuesday that documents filed under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) revealed details of an “Influencer Campaign” run by Bridge Partners, a Washington-based consulting firm working for Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

Invoices sent to Havas Media Group Germany, which is managing the campaign, show $900,000 in funding from June through November 2025 for a group of 14 to 18 influencers. The filings estimate 75 to 90 posts in that period – equivalent to between $6,143 and $7,372 per post, according to Responsible Statecraft. The documents do not disclose which influencers are involved.

Bridge Partners, co-owned by Yair Levi and Uri Steinberg, has enlisted a former IDF spokesperson and a former representative of the Israeli spyware firm NSO Group.

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Last week, Netanyahu told a press conference it was crucial to secure Israel’s “support base in the US” by using influencers, particularly on TikTok and X.

Israel’s image campaign comes amid declining support in the US, particularly over the Gaza war. A recent New York Times survey suggested that six in ten Americans believe Israel should end the war, with more than half opposing additional economic and military support to West Jerusalem.

Lawmakers including Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene have described the situation in Gaza as “genocide” and opposed additional aid to Israel.

US President Donald Trump, who continues to support the Jewish state, has recently acknowledged that the Israeli lobby – once wielding “total control” over Congress – has seen its influence dwindle.

Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage. Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, which has so far killed over 68,000 Palestinians according to local health authorities.