Israel is spending vast sums of money using AI messaging and influencers to manipulate American public opinion.
Israel has been carrying out attacks on the Palestinian
Israel's $50 Million Experiment to Change US Public Opinion - WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/politics/israels-50-million-experiment-to-change-us-public-opinion-253b3b70
Israel's new influence campaign brings AI into the battle for American opinion | Ctech
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/hya411vqezg
A March 2026 survey by the American think tank Pew Research Center found that only 37% of Americans viewed Israel favorably, significantly lower than the 60% who viewed it unfavorably. Furthermore, 59% of Americans had little to no confidence in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to act correctly regarding global affairs.
Meanwhile, Israel is investing heavily in AI-powered campaigns and direct funding for conservative media outlets, attempting to steer American public opinion in its favor. According to Israeli Foreign Minister Gidon Sar, the Israeli government has allocated more than $700 million (approximately 113.7 billion yen) in its 2026 budget to expand efforts to shape public opinion and improve its image in the world.
In a July 2026 conversation with popular podcast host Joe Rogan, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticized the Israeli government for manipulating American public opinion regarding the war with Iran and attempting to obstruct peace negotiations. He stated, 'Some Israeli officials are trying to manipulate and change American public opinion to prolong the war indefinitely.'
Over the past year, Israel has contracted with at least six companies to support public opinion shaping activities in the United States, and more than 30 people, mainly marketing experts, have registered as Israel's foreign agents. Of particular note is the contract with Brad Parscale, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump and former campaign manager. Parscale is the chief strategy officer of Salem Media, a conglomerate that manages popular conservative podcasts and radio shows, and Israel has reportedly signed a contract with him for more than $45 million (approximately 7.3 billion yen).
The agreement between Israel and Parscale includes 'the integration of narrative messages into Salem Media Network's media assets and associated distribution channels.' Stephen Bannon, former chief strategist to President Trump and a prominent podcaster himself, criticized the move, asking, 'Why is the second-largest show on a conservative talk network run by a registered foreign agent?'
Salem Media and Parscale maintain that they do not ask or pay podcasters or presenters to make pro-Israel statements. 'Our presenters have built their careers by speaking their own minds, not reading from other people's scripts,' said David Santorella, CEO of Salem Media. However, the Wall Street Journal points out that many of Salem Media's presenters have defended Israel for many years.
Israel's efforts are not limited to podcasts. An organization called 'Show Faith by Works,' established in July 2025, works to increase favorability towards Israel while simultaneously linking Palestinian residents to extremist organizations. Documents submitted by Show Faith by Works to authorities reportedly outline a plan to use
Israel is also mobilizing influencers, and Prime Minister Netanyahu recently met with conservative influencers during his visit to the United States. A marketing company run by influencer Yoav Davis has a contract with Israel, and Davis frequently expresses his opinions on Israel and war on his Instagram account. Davis reportedly participated in a Pride March in Israel in June 2026, advocating for the rights of sexual minorities, and commented on camera that 'Israel is the safest place in the Middle East for LGBTQ+ people.'
Parscale's business plan also includes measures to elicit pro-Israel responses on chat AIs such as Claude and ChatGPT. This includes creating websites, social media posts, and links containing pro-Israel content. The Wall Street Journal has reported that chat AIs have actually cited ' Allyvia.org ,' a pro-Israel website built by Parscale's team.
Israeli influence operations are also utilizing AI. SparkFire , a company that uses AI to send text messages, has signed a $6.5 million (approximately 1.056 billion yen) contract to send messages to millions of Americans' smartphones asking about 'peace negotiations between the US and Israel and Iran.' The sender of these messages is a person named Emma or Sarah, claiming to be a member of an organization called 'Friends for Peace,' but the conversation goes in circles and the text appears to be AI-generated.
Artist Beth Sardut, who actually received a message that appeared to be AI-generated, said, 'I said, 'I don't think you're a real human,' but it was trying to convince me that it was a real human. I don't want to talk to an AI, even if it's an ideal I believe in.'
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