The text messages come from senders named Emma or Sarah, with a group called Friends for Peace. “How do you think the U.S. and Israel’s peace talks with Iran will impact global security?” they ask.
In the midst of these existential questions, the Israeli government has embarked on an unprecedented influence campaign in the United States. Paid for by the Israeli government, this effort is designed to combat waning public support for Israel among American adults, now sitting at a staggering 60%. The initiative involves novel strategies powered by artificial intelligence (AI), direct payments to conservative media outlets, and targeted outreach to social media influencers.
Brad Parscale, a longtime Trump adviser and chief strategy officer at Salem Media, is at the helm of this endeavor. His initial contract with Israel totaled over $45 million, with a 2026 budget exceeding $700 million allocated for expanding efforts to “shape consciousness” and improve Israel's image around the world. The Israeli foreign ministry did not respond to interview requests.
Parscale's firm has developed an AI-powered text messaging operation called Friends for Peace, which sends millions of texts to American cellphones each month. These messages are designed to trigger more positive results about Israel on AI chatbots like Claude or ChatGPT. Recipients of these texts have sensed they may be part of a broader campaign.
The effort also includes creating websites, posts, and links with pro-Israel content that are designed to combat concerns people have about Israel and report the answers back to the Israeli government. Parscale's firm has been paid $6.5 million as of mid-May for this work. A Sparkfire spokesman claimed that “human team members are involved throughout the conversation process and interact directly with recipients.”
In addition to AI-powered text messaging, Israel is pouring tens of millions of dollars into a quixotic effort to influence American public opinion. This includes creating websites, social media campaigns, and partnerships with conservative media outlets like Salem Media.
Salem Media's hosts have been longtime defenders of Israel, and their shows often echo each other in their defense of the country. Parscale's contract with Israel involves “integration of narrative messaging into Salem Media Network properties and aligned distribution channels.” However, Salem Media and Parscale denied paying its hosts to say anything specific about Israel.
Other Israeli efforts are focused on the American left. The Gaza war has prompted deep rifts among Democrats in ongoing primaries over whether support for Israel has a place in the party anymore. Yoav Davis, who founded the popular @Jews_of_NY Instagram handle, runs a marketing company contracted by Israel for work that included participating in calls with an “influencers management team” and managing “contracted talents.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made a point of courting conservative influencers, meeting with them on at least two recent visits to the U.S. The deterioration of Americans' support for Israel “correlates almost 100% with the geometric rise of social media,” he told “60 Minutes” in May.
Documents indicate Israel and registered agents working for the country have made payments to firms owned by other online influencers as part of its work, but don't specify paying for posts. Evangelical relationship influencers Stefanie and Caleb Rouse, who post glossy Instagrams on topics like “10 things to pray for your marriage,” own a company that was paid $4,500 by a contractor for Israel last year for “strategic marketing promotion.”
Despite the Israeli government's efforts to improve its public image, many remain skeptical about the country's influence campaign. Former chief strategist Steve Bannon said, “They are trying to sell something that is not sellable.”
Written by: Chad Mirage | The Citizen Edition
“The mission is accomplished. Next target.”