A recent report published by Responsible Statecraft has revealed that the Israeli government is quietly funding a multimillion-dollar social media campaign aimed at shaping American public opinion in its favor. The revelations stem from mandatory disclosures filed under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
According to the documents, U.S.-based firm Bridges Partners LLC—owned by Israeli consultants Uri Steinberg and Yair Levi—has been contracted to serve as a conduit for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bridges Partners works in cooperation with Havas Media Group Germany, a branch of the global PR conglomerate Havas, to distribute funds and manage campaign logistics.
Between June and November of this year, nearly $900,000 has been allocated for recruiting American pro-Israel influencers across Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms. The filing shows that selected influencers will receive between $6,100 and $7,300 to produce 75 to 90 posts, while production and development costs will also be covered by the program. Thus far, between 14 and 18 influencers have been recruited to participate in what has been code-named the “Esther Project.”
The campaign was launched in response to plummeting U.S. public support for Israel, especially among younger Americans and conservative voters. The filings indicate that Israel’s Foreign Ministry, which has a dedicated $150 million budget for global “foreign influence” initiatives, is directly funding the effort.
The strategy appears to be part of a broader push by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to regain influence within American political discourse. On September 26, Netanyahu met with a group of pro-Israel influencers at Israel’s Consulate in New York, where he emphasized that the pending U.S. acquisition of TikTok was “one of the most important battles” in the information war.
The report also cites a letter from U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk, written in May prior to his death, in which he warned Netanyahu about collapsing support for Israel among American conservatives. Kirk urged Israel’s leadership to prioritize online campaigns that would “rebuild the pro-Israel narrative” on social platforms.