Israel's PR Firms Under Fire for Framing Gaza War Narrative
In a bid to bolster its image and restore support among young right-wing Evangelical US voters, Israel has contracted three public relations companies to frame the country's war on Gaza. The move is part of a larger effort by Israel to control how its actions are perceived by its allies and sponsors in the US.
According to filings under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has hired Bridges Partners, Show Faith by Works, and Clock Tower X via the European Havas Media Group. These firms promise to help bolster Israel's online image and restore support among young right-wing Evangelical US voters that polling suggests is hemorrhaging as a result of the war on Gaza.
The coordinated social media campaign aimed at swaying international sympathies in Israel's favor throughout the conflict, which began in October 2023, has already started to show signs of backfiring. The videos revealing mass killings and devastation in Gaza have gone viral, generating sympathy for the Palestinians, while Israel's war effort is losing traction among social media users.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recognized this shift, referring to social media as a "weapon" in his campaign to shore up support in the US. He has also welcomed the purchase of TikTok by a consortium led by pro-Israel billionaires, calling it a "most important purchase."
Each of the PR companies contracted through Havas promises a fresh approach in its campaign, targeting key demographics, religious groups, and even the way the war is discussed online. Show Faith by Works, for example, has been hired to run an outreach and digital targeting campaign to foster positive associations with Israel in churches in the US and portray the Palestinian population as "extremist."
The company promises to conduct the largest Geofencing and Christian Targeting campaign in US history, tracking the communication devices of users when they come into proximity of specific locations or areas. This could include Christian universities or churches identified by the PR firm.
Bridges Partners' campaign involves an unnamed cohort of influencers who would be paid to post in support of Israel. The influencers are likely being paid around $7,000 per post, and their anonymity has raised concerns about potential illegality.
While the exact impact of these efforts is still unknown, experts warn that Israel's campaign may not be enough to counter the volume of factual reporting on the war on Gaza. However, they suggest that it could promote a sense of ambiguity over the conflict, presenting both sides as more equal and potentially making Israel's response seem more reasonable than initially thought.
As the investigation continues, Al Jazeera will explore why Israel is so focused on changing perceptions of itself in the US. The stakes are high, with the fate of Palestinian lives hanging in the balance.
In a bid to bolster its image and restore support among young right-wing Evangelical US voters, Israel has contracted three public relations companies to frame the country's war on Gaza. The move is part of a larger effort by Israel to control how its actions are perceived by its allies and sponsors in the US.
According to filings under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has hired Bridges Partners, Show Faith by Works, and Clock Tower X via the European Havas Media Group. These firms promise to help bolster Israel's online image and restore support among young right-wing Evangelical US voters that polling suggests is hemorrhaging as a result of the war on Gaza.
The coordinated social media campaign aimed at swaying international sympathies in Israel's favor throughout the conflict, which began in October 2023, has already started to show signs of backfiring. The videos revealing mass killings and devastation in Gaza have gone viral, generating sympathy for the Palestinians, while Israel's war effort is losing traction among social media users.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recognized this shift, referring to social media as a "weapon" in his campaign to shore up support in the US. He has also welcomed the purchase of TikTok by a consortium led by pro-Israel billionaires, calling it a "most important purchase."
Each of the PR companies contracted through Havas promises a fresh approach in its campaign, targeting key demographics, religious groups, and even the way the war is discussed online. Show Faith by Works, for example, has been hired to run an outreach and digital targeting campaign to foster positive associations with Israel in churches in the US and portray the Palestinian population as "extremist."
The company promises to conduct the largest Geofencing and Christian Targeting campaign in US history, tracking the communication devices of users when they come into proximity of specific locations or areas. This could include Christian universities or churches identified by the PR firm.
Bridges Partners' campaign involves an unnamed cohort of influencers who would be paid to post in support of Israel. The influencers are likely being paid around $7,000 per post, and their anonymity has raised concerns about potential illegality.
While the exact impact of these efforts is still unknown, experts warn that Israel's campaign may not be enough to counter the volume of factual reporting on the war on Gaza. However, they suggest that it could promote a sense of ambiguity over the conflict, presenting both sides as more equal and potentially making Israel's response seem more reasonable than initially thought.
As the investigation continues, Al Jazeera will explore why Israel is so focused on changing perceptions of itself in the US. The stakes are high, with the fate of Palestinian lives hanging in the balance.
. It's like they're trying to control the narrative and make everyone believe whatever they want them to believe. I need more info on these PR firms and how they plan to sway US voters' opinions, tho. Like, what's the goal here? Are they trying to whitewash Israel's human rights abuses in Gaza? And that Geofencing campaign by Show Faith by Works sounds straight out of a sci-fi movie 
... How do they even track users like that? The whole thing just reeks of shady dealings to me.
they're just trying to spin a narrative that's gonna be super hard to swallow considering all those vids of mass killings and devastation in Gaza going viral 
. And now they wanna hire influencers to post stuff on behalf of Israel, like $7k per post? Sounds fishy 
to me. It's like they're trying to buy sympathy, but it's just gonna backfire 
. The fact that Netanyahu is calling social media a "weapon" in his campaign is already telling us he knows this won't be easy 
. And what's with all these geofencing and Christian targeting campaigns? Sounds like a sneaky way to manipulate public opinion 
. Mark my words, this PR stunt is gonna be exposed for what it is – a desperate attempt to salvage Israel's reputation 
.
I mean, Israel's PR firms are like the ultimate "fake news" factory 
. They're trying to spin the Gaza situation like it's a game show 
, but honestly, who needs a PR firm when you've got a war on your hands? 
And those $7,000 influencer posts? That's just a slap in the face (literally, if they're doing that) 
. Meanwhile, the videos of mass killings and devastation are out there like a virus, making it hard for Israel to convince people otherwise 
. Maybe they should try being more transparent instead of trying to hide behind fancy PR firms? 
What do I know?
anyway back to israel... i feel bad for ppl in gaza, its such a sad situation 
. And what's up with tracking people's devices when they come near churches or universities? That sounds like some serious creepiness 
. The fact that these PR companies are getting paid to post pro-Israel content is basically just buying likes and followers, not actually changing minds 
. And what's with these influencers getting paid to post pro-Israel stuff? That's just not right, IMO 
.
. And now they're buying up TikTok? That's just ridiculous 
these PR firms r like trying to hide behind a mask of fake positivity, think they can just whitewash the brutal reality of what's goin on in Gaza 
Newsflash: it's not workin! The truth is out there and people aren't having it 
this is gonna backfire big time, sympathy for the Palestinians is already at an all-time high on social media 
and now they're trying to turn off the public by painting themselves as victims? come on, Netanyahu, you can't buy sympathy with money 
what's next, bribing politicians to vote for Israel? 
. They're basically paying people to say nice things about them on social media and tracking the devices of Christian influencers... what even is this? 
.
. Who do they think they're playing games with? The whole thing reeks of desperation and a clear disregard for human life 
. And what's with this whole geofencing thing? Like, who's gonna check if they're tracking people's devices without their consent? Creepy 
. Newsflash: it's not gonna work! The more I see those heartbreaking vids of Gaza, the more I wanna support the Palestinians 
. Israel needs to take responsibility for its actions instead of trying to spin them in their favor 
. And what's up with these PR firms tracking people's online activity? That's straight outta a sci-fi movie 
this is such a worrying situation, it feels like they're trying to erase all the suffering and pain from Gaza. framing the narrative in a way that makes Israel look less bad and the Palestinians more extreme is just not right